Sandeep Rana
Chandigarh, September 23
In what would help in curbing stray cattle menace in the city, the much-delayed city’s first modern cattle pound is set to open in December.
Almost all existing gaushalas have been packed to capacity since long.
The under-construction cattle pound has a capacity to accommodate 1,000 cattle in Raipur Kalan. Stray cattle and those already impended in various gaushalas will be shifted here. At present, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has kept a temporary space to keep cattle infected with lumpy skin disease here.
Work to finish in nov
The work of the cattle pound will be completed in November and it will be fully functional in December. It will accommodate 1,000 cattle. However, veterinary hospital and dog pound will open in March next year. —Anindita Mitra, MC Commissioner
“The work of the cattle pound will be completed in November and it will be fully functional in December. It will accommodate 1,000 cattle. However, veterinary hospital and dog pound will open in March next year,” said MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra.
The cattle pound will completely run on solar power. It will have an effluent treatment plant (ETP), a first in the city. It will also have a hospital, a laboratory, a kitchen, a parking area and a dormitory for workers.
The MC claims to catch around 150 to 200 stray cattle every month and sends them to gaushalas and cattle pounds, which are overcrowded. Some house cattle double to their capacity.
Stray cattle menace is a big issue, especially in southern sectors. It causes road accidents and leads to chaos.
In October 2019, the then UT Adviser Manoj Parida had laid the foundation stone of the new cattle pound project. The deadline for the completion of this project was one year. However, the work could not be completed yet. Officials had earlier blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and shortage of funds for the delay in the completion of the project.
To completely run on solar power
The cattle pound will completely run on solar power. It will have an effluent treatment plant (ETP), a first in the city. It will also have a hospital, a laboratory, a kitchen, a parking area and a dormitory for workers.
Effluent treatment plant in all gaushalas
The Municipal Corporation has proposed to open effluent treatment plant (ETPs) in all its gaushalas. An agenda for its approval will be tabled in the forthcoming House meeting on December 30.
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