Pet lover uses own land to give final resting place for animals
Disposing of dead pets and animals is always a problem for pet lovers in Lucknow
Disposing of dead pets and animals is always a problem for pet lovers in Lucknow.
To solve this issue a pet lover Amit Sehgal has started a cremation and burial service on his land of 10 bighas in Gudoli village, adjacent to Sai river, 14 km from Hotel Ramada on Mohan Road.
“I have marked 10 bigha land of my farmhouse for the burial and cremation of pets. Not only that, I encourage people to plant a tree in memory of their pet. Till now, more than 200 saplings have been planted since 2015. More than 30 bodies of pets are cremated or buried here every month from Lucknow and adjoining areas of Unnao etc. Instead of waiting for the state government to make a move, we should find solutions,” said Anil Sehgal.
“My NGO, Jeev Aashraya, is an animal welfare organisation in Lucknow, active since 2012. This NGO has saved more than one lakh plus animals in the city till date and provides services such as rescue of distressed animals, treatment of injured/ sick animals, awareness campaigns etc. During all this, we came to know that there is no space for burial or cremation of pets in the city. Despite our repeated requests, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) was unable to find land for animal cremation or burial. So, I decided to use my own 10 bigha land in the service of pets,” Sehgal added.
Ram Chaurasia, a resident of Patel Nagar, Alambagh, said,” Often, the dead pets end up rotting in a dump yard, canal or in landfills. But when I lost my dog, I never wanted my pet to be dumped like that. So, I decided to cremate him at Godoli. Today, there is tree at the place where he was cremated. We often go with our family to see the tree growing. The staff at the cremation site was outstanding, they had arranged everything before we reached there.”
He said, “Nowadays, most people live in flats where it is difficult to find land for proper burial or cremation of their beloved pet. To tackle this issue, Jeev Aashraya, has come up with the provision of dignified last rites of pets which we must support.”
However, Anil Sehgal said, “Pet parents can bury their pets and a tree is planted in their name on that site for remembrance. Another option is to cremate, where dried cow dung cakes are used. Later the ashes may be collected and the immersion of the ashes can be done in the nearby Sai River. Both options are extremely environment friendly, in line with the motto of Jeev Aashraya which is ‘Conserving with Compassion’. It also gives comfort to the pet parents who have lost a member of their family and all this service is free of cost.”
In Lucknow, there are more than 9,000 registered pets in the houses, besides 60,000 street dogs and more than 10,000 non-registered pets in the houses.
Around 100 street dogs die every day and around 40 pets die daily but the absence of a defined disposal system of animal carcasses has been felt for a long time.
AK Rao, additional municipal commissioner, animal welfare, said, “There is a need for a proper space for disposing of dead animals. There are some spaces marked for animal burial or cremation which will be finalised soon.”
