Wild Elephant Death at NRL Township Raises Concerns

A wild elephant’s death in Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) Township has sparked controversy due to the Forest Department’s delayed response. Despite the elephant’s suspected electrocution on July 18, no police complaint has been filed three days later. Initially, NRL authorities buried the elephant to avoid “trouble,” but the carcass was exhumed for a postmortem after higher authorities intervened. Conservationists criticized the Forest Department’s inaction and the NRL’s initial attempt to hush up the incident. The area, a known elephant habitat and corridor, has faced ongoing human-elephant conflicts.