Dera volunteers expedite work at Mathana cowshed

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, July 9

Volunteers of the Dera Sacha Sauda have come forward to expedite the work of a government cowshed under construction at Mathana village, near here. This cattle shed was in the news recently after 21 cows died there allegedly due to its poor maintenance.

A large portion of 7.5-acre cowshed turned swampy after about 150 mm of rainfall in the Ladwa block a few days ago. Several animals were stuck in its slushy compound. However, district administration officials are working round the clock to construct a bricked pavement for animals and erect the second protection shed.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Dharamvir Singh says about 140 cows have been shifted temporarily to the adjoining Hanuman Gaushala from where the cattle were originally brought to the cowshed recently.

He adds animals at the cowshed were rescued from streets and vaccinated after mandatory tagging after it was established in May this year. “There is a forecast of rain in the next 48 hours and panchayat members and others are working to complete the work. As many as 530 bulls and calves are housed in the Mathana cowshed and a team of veterinarians is regularly attending to the animals,” he says.

Tejpal, a volunteer managing the cowshed, blames a section of media for wrongly portraying the death of cows. “The real problem started after a leading English new agency mischievously quoted my wife Kiran Bala, sarpanch of Mathana village, saying that cows died due to starvation. TV channels are running the news without verifying details. Of course, 21 sick cows have died in the last two months but it is being wrongly projected as they died in the past few days due to negligence. Heavy rainfall severely affected arrangements at the cowshed where the work is still not over,” he says.

Veterinary surgeon Dr Praveen Kumar says the mortality of weak cows is quite in any cattle pond that houses rescued stray animals. “Unproductive cows abandoned by their owners are usually aged and weak while bulls are healthy and strong. No animal has been diagnosed with any communicable disease. At least 20 aged and sick cows have been treated and some others have natural health conditions,” he says.