Elephants evicted ahead of India's Commonwealth Games

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2007

NEW DELHI (AFP) — Dozens of elephants in India's capital need a new home after being evicted from a riverside locale to make way for construction linked to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, officials said Thursday.

The New Delhi government is racing against time to spruce up the sprawling city of 14 million in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which it views as a showcase event for the country's capital.

Improvements underway include extending a metro-rail service, and building new bus shelters and special traffic lanes. Home owners are also being encouraged to offer bed-and-breakfast lodgings to overcome a shortage of hotel rooms.

The city also has plans to evict poor slum dwellers, including a group that looks after elephants used at weddings and festivals...