Cows dying of lumpy skin disease will be given proper burial: Delhi govt

The state government told the Delhi high court that till now no case of cattle death due to lumpy disease has been recorded in the national capital

The city government on Friday assured the Delhi high court of giving a dignified burial to the cows dying of lumpy skin disease without hurting sentiments of people.

The Delhi government that helpline numbers have been issued to report lumpy skin disease cases and that a location has also been identified for burial. (PTI)

A bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad also asked the Delhi government to contact private gaushalas and bring the cows to the location it has identified for burial, after social worker and petitioner-in-person Ajay Gautam told the court that there is no land for burying the dead cows.

While directing that the exercise be concluded in four weeks, the court issued notice to the union and the Delhi government seeking their response to Gautam’s plea seeking remedial steps for treatment of lumpy skin disease among cows in the national capital.

In his plea, Gautam has sought constitution of a team of doctors in each zone of the national capital, additional ambulances and a designated burial ground to deal with the lumpy skin disease which has been spreading among cattle, the court also directed the union government and the Delhi Police to be made a party to the proceedings.

On the last date, the court had asked the authorities to file status reports, even though the court had not issued formal notice to the respondents.

During the proceedings on Friday, the petitioner-in person told the court that under the garb of scientific disposal, cows are being skinned.

In its status report, the Delhi government told the court that till now no case of cattle death due to lumpy disease has been recorded in the national capital and that helpline numbers have been issued to report lumpy skin disease cases and that a location has also been identified for burial.

However, countering this submission, Gautam told the court that he has pictures to show death of cows in gaushalas (cow shelters) and that the government helpline is unresponsive. He also said that at present there are only two ambulances which do not even work on weekends.

Advocate Sameer Vashist, additional standing counsel of the Delhi government, assured the court that it will take steps to increase the number of ambulances and that additional helpline numbers will be issued and more operators will be placed on the helpline.

The matter will now be heard on December 14.