Bacterial infection behind buffalo deaths at NDRI Karnal: Mgmt
Institute says 38 cattle heads died of bacterial infection, refutes charge of activist that 75 animals have died
As many as 38 buffaloes died at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, in the past one week due to bacterial infection.
However, the NDRI management has refuted the allegation that 75 buffaloes died mysteriously at the institute and they were buried without postmortem.
An animal rights activist, Naresh Kadyan, had approached the Karnal police and filed an online complaint against the NDRI director accusing the institute of burying the dead cattle without postmortem to hush up the matter.
Kadyan had alleged that 75 buffaloes had died in the past one week. Talking to Hindustan Times, NDRI director Dr RRB Singh said that the allegations of death of 75 buffaloes were not true. He, however, admitted that 38 animals (buffaloes) died since September 11 and 10 more buffaloes are suffering from the disease.
He said that the postmortem of all the dead buffaloes was conducted and it was found that the buffaloes died due to bacterial infection.
However, the doctors and scientists of the prestigious institute have failed to identify the reason behind the infection.
The director said that three teams of doctors from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, and NDRI were conducting the investigation and treatment was being given to the infected animals.
When contacted, Dr Rajan Sharma, spokesperson and principal scientist, NDRI, said, “The cause of the bacterial infection could not be ascertained yet. The investigation was being conducted from different angles and we are examining the feed and fodder served to animals.”
He said a special ward has been set up for the treatment of infected animals. The entry of the people has been prohibited in that area, he added. The institute has a total of 550 buffaloes.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Surender Singh Bhoria said, “We have received an online complaint about the death of the cattle and a police team had visited the institute for investigation.”
“Since the internal investigation by the team of doctors and management of the institute was still going on, the police probe will be conducted as per the findings of their investigation”, he added.
The NDRI Karnal is country’s premier dairy research institution and known for its research on increasing the milk production and for cloning the world’s first buffalo calf.
The cause of the bacterial infection could not be ascertained yet. The investigation was being conducted from different angles and we are examining the feed and fodder served to the cattle. DR RAJAN SHARMA, NDRI spokesman