An exclusive village for elephants

Elephants will have a new address in Jaipur - a village exclusively for them is being developed on the city's outskirts.

Elephants, one of India's main tourist draws, are used to ferry tourists to the city's hilltop forts. They usually spend the night on the streets.

The Amber Development Authority is going to begin construction of the boundary wall of the elephant village this week. Officials said the project would be completed within 18 months.

"Elephant riding is the pride of Jaipur as it increases the value of our heritage. The elephant village is likely to be completed in one and half years," an official said.

A Mumbai architect has been hired as a consultant for the project. The elephant village, expected to become a tourist attraction of its own, will provide shelter to about 100 elephants and their keepers.

The project will include a natural habitat shelter with an extensive plantation and a veterinary hospital. It also involves construction of tourist centres near the main road so that they can see various entertaining activities of elephants from open pavilions.

Officials say there will be high dependency on rainwater owing to less underground water in the 75-acre area. Hence, huge water harvesting tanks would be built at different places to store rainwater.