Thirteen animals, including eight cows, four calves and a bull, were killed in a portion of the roof collapsed at a dairy farm at the Haibowal Dairy Complex on Tuesday evening.
Four labourers who were present at the dairy farm had a narrow escape. The brothers who own the dairy farm, Vishal, Ravi and Hero Vasan of the Upkar Nagar area, said most of the dead cows were pregnant.
Estimating losses of around ₹10 lakh, the owners said the building’s foundation had been compromised due to the presence of a choked drain at the back of the farm, and incessant rainfall over the last few days had not helped matters either.
“We have around 70 animals. The accident took place an hour we returned home,” he said.
Wastewater from the clogged drain had also accumulated at the farm. The owners and their neighbours tried to rescue the animals, to no avail. The non-availability of a JCB machine at night also delayed the rescue mission.
Vishal said, “The structure was around 15 years old but the foundation had weakened due to flow of dairy waste into the drain that passes through the rear end of the farm.”
{{/usCountry}}Vishal said, “The structure was around 15 years old but the foundation had weakened due to flow of dairy waste into the drain that passes through the rear end of the farm.”
{{/usCountry}}A veterinarian from the animal husbandry department Dr Chatinder Singh provided first aid to the injured animals. “One of the cows has suffered a spinal injury and is critical,” he said.
Vishal’s cousin, Rajan, who owns the adjoining dairy unit, said a portion of his unit’s roof had also collapsed in the last week. No casualty was reported.
Owners blame MC, seek compensation
The owners have blamed the municipal corporation (MC) for the incident on grounds that they had failed to clean the drain lines and make concrete boundaries around the drain.
Vishal said, “The drain remains choked and overflows after rainfall. The wastewater in the drain seeps into the foundation of the buildings, which also results in wild growth.”
Seeking compensation for the loss, Vishal said the boundary wall of the drain lines should be made of concrete to avoid any such incident in future. “The foundation of other buildings situated in the area is also being damaged due to seepage,’ he said.
Mayor Balkar Sandhu, however, said the incident had nothing to do with the drain lines as many other dairy units are also situated in the area. The structure was weak and may have collapsed due to the rainfall.