NGO comes to aid as Hisar MC lets stray cattle die
For a non-governmental organisation (NGO) - Seva Bhav Prast - raising money for fodder and medicines for 850 stray bulls on Dhansu road is a challenge.
For a non-governmental organisation (NGO) - Seva Bhav Prast - raising money for fodder and medicines for 850 stray bulls on Dhansu road is a challenge.
With the district administration shrugging off its responsibility by saying it does not have funds, the care of the bulls is left on the shoulders of the NGO.
NGO head Mukesh Kumar Bansal said with no support from the administration, the NGO seems to be fighting a lone battle. The administration's apathy has led to the death of 27 bulls in the past one month as there was no provision of proper fodder, shelter, water, and medicine for the animals.
Around nine months ago, these bulls were left on eight acres of land belonging to the state livestock department on Dhansu road by the local municipal corporation without making any arrangements for their survival. The corporation only erected a temporary shed for the cattle. The area was also fenced so the animals don't go out.
"Who is responsible for arranging fodder, water, shelter and medicines for the animals? The bulls are dying for want of basic facilities in the makeshift arrangement. Three to four bulls die every day. Seeing their plight, some people approached us and we took the initiative of trying to save them," Bansal said.
The NGO, comprising only a few members, tries to collect donation to arrange fodder for the cattle. The NGO has also constructed three makeshift tin and brick structures for the cattle on the land. Seeing the condition of the animals, we were forced to utilise the money which we collected for fodder for the construction of sheds," the NGO head said.
The municipal corporation has deputed a support staff on the land. "Two corporation employees work during the night and one each during the day. However, except for working as guards, no one among them offers any helping hand even when we are in desperate need," the NGO head said.
"We don't have any budget head under which we can put the cost of taking care of these animals," secretary, Hisar municipal corporation, Virender Saharan said. A delegation of MC councillors also met the Hisar deputy commissioner recently. "The DC promised that a veterinarian will be appointed, but expressed his helplessness in arranging fodder for the animals," deputy mayor Bhim Mahajan said.
FOLLOW JADHAV'S MODEL
Councillors and members of the NGO want the administration to follow in the footsteps of inspector general of police, Rohtak range, Shrikant Jadhav, who not only removed stray cattle from Hisar streets in a few months, but also developed a mechanism to take care of these animals. Jadhav, who was then the Hisar superintendent of police, started a "stray cattle mission".
He roped in NGOs and sought help from gaushalas to accommodate the stray cattle. He gradually developed a mechanism to arrange funds for fodder and to meet other maintenance expenditures. He also launched a cow adaptation model.
"To make it sustainable, I asked people to adopt cattle by paying Rs 6,000 per animal as the maintenance fee. We managed to generate around Rs 1 crore in two-three months," said Jadav. Help started pouring in from all corners, he added.