Lockdown creates fodder crisis in Karnal gaushalas

Tribune News Service

Karnal, March 30

The ongoing 21-day lockdown has created a fodder crisis in gaushalas and nandishalas of the city.

These gaushalas and nandishalas are dependent on dry fodder from rural areas as well as on donations by devotees. However, people are unable to visit these places due to the lockdown, leading to a crisis. Two gaushalas and a nandishala are facing acute shortage of dry fodder.

Notably, there are three gaushalas in the city, including one of the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) and a nandishala, which is also run by the KMC.

“Due to the lockdown, we are not getting dry fodder that used to come from villages. We are also not getting donations due to which we are facing problems to feed around 850 cows in gaudham and around 300 oxen in nandishala,” said Krishan Garg, former senior deputy mayor, who takes care of gaudham and nandishala near Phoosgarh.

He demanded the authorities to allow the fodder vehicles to ply for gaushalas and also develop a mechanism so that people could give donations.

A similar problem is being faced by Shri Radha Krishan Gaushala Arjun Gate in the city. Krishan Lal Taneja, president of the Gaushala Samiti, said they had 1,070 cows but were not getting dry fodder as the administration was not allowing the vehicles. “Due to the lockdown, we are not getting donations as well,” he added.

He said there were around 25 gaushalas in the district and similar problems were being faced by most of them. He demanded the authorities to provide fodder to financially weak gaushalas.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said he had directed the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, to look into the matter so that the gaushalas would not face any problem.