Mizo villages punished for killing elephants

Mizoram's environment and forest department has decided to punish a few villages for refusing help to trace poachers who had recently killed two elephants.

Mizoram's environment and forest department has decided to punish the villages surrounding the Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary for refusing help in the probe to trace poachers who had recently killed two elephants inside the forest reserve.

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Forest department officials told PTI on Friday that the Divisional Forest Officer of Chhimtuipui Forest Division has been instructed to suspend all eco-development works in Mampui, Ngengpui, Rulkual, R. Vanhne, Paithar, Saizawh and Bungtlang villages, after the villagers refused to co-operate in the investigation to identify the poachers.

All the Village Eco-Development Committees there would also be abolished by the DFO, they said.

The Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary spread on an area of 110 square kms is situated near the Indo-Bangladesh border.