1 caretaker, 300 cattle, infra for only 150: Plight of Manali gausadan
Expressing concern over the alleged pitiable condition of cattle at the gausadan at Rangri near Manali, Gautam Thakur, a social activist, has alleged that over 300 cattle are kept at the 150-cow capacity shelter. Only one caretaker had been looking after the gausadan, operated by the Manali Municipal Council, he added.
Thakur said 4 cattle had recently died after being stuck between the crate wall and the new wall erected for the garbage plant at Rangri.
Dearth of fodder is an increasingly worrying problem for the shelter, he added.
Many generous residents regularly donated fodder, he said, however, the overburdening of the gausadan was taking its toll on the animals.
Gokul, a resident of the area, said the area witnessed severe cold weather, and the shelter being adjacent to a river made matters worse.
“The problem increases in the winters, especially after snowfall. Last year, some of the cattle were sent to the gausadan in Katrain. Many cattle die due to the severe cold in the winters. With negligible financial aid from the government, the chances of improvement of the infrastructure of the gausadan are minimal,” he added.
In January of 2022, about 15 cows and bulls had died at the shelter. Ved Ram, another area resident, called for proper arrangements for the cattle at the shelter.
“The government makes big claims about protecting cows, but no results can be seen on ground. The government should allocate more funds for the shelter, and adequate arrangements should be made to protect the cattle from the cold weather,” he said.
Anil, another social worker, claimed of the state of cattle in the state, “Stray cattle can be spotted roaming the highways, roads, streets and pathways almost throughout the state. These become a threat to the commuters and can also fatally injure themselves on these stretches. A well-planned strategy needs to be in place to provide safe shelter to stray cattle.”
