Image Credit source: File
The case of death of horses and mules in Kedarnath Yatra is increasing. Veterinary office officials have now been deployed along with police and administration personnel at the start of the trek. Along with this, the Animal Welfare Board has demanded glanders test.
Kedarnath (KedarnathThe case of death of horses and mules in the journey is increasing. In the journey of just 26 days, 103 animals have died. The cause of death of the animals is said to be the negligence of their owners. Mules were being put to death, flogged, and often given drugs with greater weight and with greater frequency. Times of India reports that more than 60 mules had died due to difficult conditions in the first 20 days of the journey, as handlers and owners in a hurry to take unprecedented steps due to the backlog created by a two-year pandemic Were.
After the report came, Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna had sent an advisory to all the mule drivers to save the animals from working too hard, but nothing changed in the ground reality. Local residents, even some pilgrims, said the animals were often “brutally beaten up and drugged. Many cattle operators were looking for ways to circumvent the rules, which mandated only one trip on the track for each mule. Before the 2013 floods, the route had four resting and check-up stops for animals. An official said that there is no one on the new route. Manoj Semwal, a traveler from Kota, Rajasthan, says that it is a common thing to see animals slipping. Especially when going down in the rain. Just yesterday, a horse slipped, its muzzle hit the ground, but the handler hit the animal with just a stick.
Officials from the Chief Veterinary Office (CVO) of Rudraprayag have now been deployed along with the police and administration personnel at the start of the trek. They are checking registrations and looking for tired or sick animals. An official of the CVO office said that we are working hard in the investigation, but some cases slip out of hand. Our focus should be on the health of animals, but there is a huge shortage of personnel. Sometimes we come to know about the death of an animal, but it takes up to a day to retrieve the carcass.
Animal Welfare Board demands glanders test
Meanwhile, the Animal Welfare Board raised concerns about the spread of glanders (a zoonotic disease that can also affect humans). It demanded construction of sheds, quarantine and isolation centers and mandatory glanders testing across the route. He has requested a policy for working horses and wants the state to notify the Prevention of Cruelty to the Draft and Pack Animals Rules, 1965 as well as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Licensing of Ferriers) Rules, 1965 .
: Language Inputs
“This post is sourced from newspapers, magazines and third-party websites. For more information please check NewsNCR Disclaimer“
.