Around 16 buffaloes died and five cows took ill on Friday noon after they entered a nullah in Chinhat to beat the heat.
Locals said a chemical factory in the vicinity might have released effluents into the nullah. “People bring their cattle near the nullah every day. But today, buffaloes started fainting after entering the nullah and then some of them died,” said Dharam Yadav, resident.
Residents called the cops who said they would only lodge FIR, if the LMC gave an application in the matter. Meanwhile, the police called a bulldozer and other machines to pull out the animals’ bodies from the nullah.
Director, animal welfare, LMC Dr Arvind Rao said the area didn’t fall under municipal limits.
“The area is not under municipal limits, so we cannot lodge an FIR. It’s for the police to investigate the case and book the culprits who threw toxic effluents into the drain which culminates into Gomti,” he said.