Raids in north Bengal yield elephant tusks and rhino horns worth lakhs

The forest department and police have recovered elephant tusks and rhino horns worth lakhs of rupees after carrying out raids in various parts of north Bengal. Five members of the gang involved in smuggling animal parts have also been apprehended and the police and forest officers are interrogating them to trace the kingpin and also discover leads to poachers.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 11 November 2015.

As revealed by Divisional forest officer of Jalpaiguri, of the 6-Kg tusks recovered, only three-and-a-half kgs were found to be original while the rest was fake. It will also have to be checked whether the rhino horn is original. Two persons were arrested red-handed while they were trying to sell the tusks in a market near Malbazar. Subsequent interrogation is on to find out the involvement of others.
The forests in north Bengal have witnessed a sudden spike in rhino deaths in the last couple of years and most of these were attributed to poaching.

(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

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Heavy rains and landslides kill at least 38 in Darjeeling

Heavy rains that led to massive landslides in Darjeeling district of West Bengal have taken at least 38 lives. The death toll could increase as salvage operations continue. Teams of NDRF and NDMA teams are working at the site of the landslide, apart from the SSB and state national disaster teams.
This has been reported in dnaindia.com dated 1 July 2015.

The landslide was a result of incessant rainfall that hit the district and triggered the destruction all across the hills and swept away q number of houses. Due to the landslide, the National Highway - 10 has been cut off leaving hundreds of tourists stranded at the hill station.
Monetary compensations have been announced by both the central and the state governments. The center has announced a sum of Rs. 2 lakh from the PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) to the families of the deceased.
The state has announced that a compensation of Rs 1.25 lakh will be given to those who are injured in the landslide and Rs 4 lakhs to the family of those deceased.
A red alert has been sounded in the Jalpaiguri district also. The Teesta River has overflowed and as nearly 400 people residing in the Dhupguri and Biren basti areas on the banks of the river bank are stranded. Their mud houses have been washed away in the flood. Moreover, the level of water in the Teesta barrage is rising alarmingly and evacuation of people from adjoining areas of the river have started.
(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

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