10,772 cows, calves die in Sirsa gaushalas in 16 mths

Deepender Deswal

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Tribune News Service

Hisar, January 23

More than 10,000 cows and calves died in 16 months at the 117 gaushalas across Sirsa district from April 2017 to July 2018, putting the spotlight on the animal’s plight despite the hype on banning its slaughter.

The Deputy Director of the Intensive Cattle Development Project (ICDP), Sirsa, divulged these figures in reply to an RTI query by Panipat-based activist PP Kapoor in a letter dated October 18, 2019. It was revealed that a whopping 1,409 deaths were reported in Shree Gaushala in Sirsa town.

This comes soon after the deaths of 529 cows in the Hisar cow sanctuary in a month that had raised questions over the arrangements in place. Veterinary experts had pointed out several laxities at the sanctuary which resulted in the deaths.

Kapoor had sought information about stray cattle and deaths of cows and calves in all districts of the state. Besides Sirsa, Panipat’s Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department also replied to the RTI query stating that there was no data about deaths in guashalas in the district.

The RTI query revealed that two meetings of the Stray Cattle Welfare Committee were held on August 7, 2018 (chaired by the city magistrate) and on November 21, 2018 (chaired by the Sirsa additional deputy commissioner) to discuss steps to make the district stray cattle-free. Proceedings of these two meetings revealed that there was no discussion on the cow deaths in the district.

Kapoor stated it was shocking that cows were dying in large number in gaushalas in Sirsa and the authorities, including the district administration and the Gau Sewa Ayog, failed to take cognizance of the matter. “The deaths in 16 months require a high-level inquiry. The Gau Sewa Ayog claims to be providing funds to gaushalas but there is something very wrong,” he said.