India, Feb. 20 -- Stating that the right to life includes the right to live with dignity, the Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to provide basic facilities to families who have been living in makeshift camps since they were evicted from a wetland area eight months ago.

The court was hearing a petition filed by 60 people who were affected by an eviction drive carried out by the Assam government in June last year as part of a campaign to rid government land and forests of illegal settlers.

During the drive carried out over three days at Hashila Beel, a wetland area in Goalpara district, 566 families were evicted following which they were residing in plots belonging to others.

"It is the opinion of this court that the r...