25 camels die after drinking polluted water in Gujarat
The incident took place on Sunday at a village in the state's Bharuch district.
Ahmedabad: As many as 25 camels died after drinking contaminated water from a pond near the parched Kacchipura village of Vagara taluka in Gujarat’s Bharuch district.
The unfortunate event on Sunday occurred as the camels made a stopover at a nearby water body, allegedly contaminated due to a pipeline leakage carrying crude oil through the area, villagers said.
The villagers of Kacchipura, comprising a population of 250 and some 60 houses, belong to the Maldhari community of cattle herders. The camels held significant importance in their lives, playing a crucial role in supporting their livelihoods.
The village has been grappling with a drinking water crisis, said Rehmanbhai Jatt, a 67-year-old resident, whose family has been involved in cattle rearing, including camels, since 1916.
“We were getting water tankers from some private suppliers, but it has stopped for the last two months,” he said. “To provide relief from the scorching heat, on Sunday villagers attempted to take the camels to Chanchvel lake 5km away.”
However, tragedy struck when the camels started dropping dead upon reaching a water body along the way, leaving the villagers in shock and disbelief, he said.
The village suffered a loss of 30 camels, with the carcasses of 25 having been recovered, according to Jatt. Efforts are underway to treat and recover the remaining camels.
Musabhai Ali Kutchi, a local social worker, highlighted the villagers’ repeated appeals to the government for an adequate supply of drinking water, which have gone unanswered.
Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the contamination and hold the responsible parties accountable. A vigilance team from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board arrived at the scene on Monday to conduct an inquiry.
Margie Patel, the regional officer of the pollution watchdog in Bharuch, said that no nearby chemical industry could be identified as a potential source of contamination.
“While an ONGC well is present in the vicinity, there have been no reports of leaks,” he said. “Samples have been collected from the area where the camel bodies were found, and an investigation will provide clarity following the post-mortem reports.”
Dr Harsh Goswami, a government vet in Bharuch, confirmed the deaths of 25 camels, although the exact cause of their demise remains uncertain. The investigation is ongoing and further updates are awaited, he said.