18 head of cattle die in gaushala at Saketri

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 30

At least 18 head of cattle, including calves, died in a suspected case of food poisoning at a gaushala in Saketri here last evening.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Manita Malik and Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sukhdev Rathi have been asked to look into the matter and submit a report.

It is suspected that chemicals and pesticides might have got mixed with the fodder that was fed to the cattle.

Bijender Singh, gaushala manager, said the animals started collapsing while eating the fodder. The Animal Husbandry Department was informed and a team visited the spot. Around 50 head of cattle were taken ill of which 18 died. The exact cause of the death will only be known after the postmortem, ADC Manita Malik said.

She said they had collected samples of fodder, which would be sent to Madhuban for forensic examination.

Appropriate action against the supplier of the fodder would be taken on the basis of the report, she said.