Mystery shrouds death of cows at gaushala in Lalru

Satinder Pal Singh

Advertisement

Lalru, December 16

Mystery shrouds the death of cows in the past two weeks at a gaushala in Magra village here.

The villagers alleged that the cows had died due to starvation and inadequate care in the chilly weather.

They alleged that negligence on the part of a private foundation running the gaushala was to be blamed. However, the reason for death was yet to be ascertained.

The gaushala is built on 25 acres with a shed and a feeding platform at Magra village.

Bad weather and recent rainfall turned the gaushala into a swampy land full of slush and dung. The villagers alleged that injured cows were not able to get up once they lost balance and fell in the slush. The sheds often became overcrowded and as a result, the cattle spend night in the open.

Sources said samples were collected from the carcasses for clinical examination to ascertain the exact cause of death. Precarious conditions at the cow shelter led to the death of at least five cows last year. This had prompted the then Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, who visited the gaushala along with local administration officials, to supervise the measures being taken in the wake of death of cows.

Sources said Sidhu during his visit last year had directed the foundation running the gaushala to improve the conditions there, but things had gone from bad to worse with no solution seemingly in sight to rescue the hapless animals from pathetic conditions.

Subhash, manager at gaushala, was not available for comment.