In an overcrowded Andhra shelter, 46 cows ‘starve’ to death

At least 46 cows died of “pneumonia and starvation” in an overcrowded cattle protection centre in the last few days, Andhra Pradesh government officials said on Saturday.

The police have registered a case against the management of the centre for alleged negligence, according to the East Godavari district officials.

Rains in the city filled the cattle protection centre, run by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), with slush and led to poor sanitary conditions, leaving the cattle in a hapless situation, they said.

The SPCA, however, denied any negligence on its part.

V Venkateswara Rao, joint director, animal husbandry, said rains and slush caused pneumonia, leading to the deaths.

“Starvation also contributed to the deaths. We have opened a special camp to treat the other cattle at the centre,” he said.

The Haryana government on Saturday announced it has decided to tag stray cattle in the state and impose fines on people letting their cattle loose.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday directed officers of the animal husbandry and dairy department to launch a special campaign to tag stray cattle, as well as those at homes, to prevent people from leaving them on the roads. “A fine would be imposed on anyone found doing so,” Khattar said.

On a complaint regarding stray cattle, he said that the state government would send stray cattle to ‘gaushalas’ and ‘Nandishalas’ before August 15.