It’s been two weeks since Uttarakhand was ravaged by floods. While the emphasis so far has been on evacuating human survivors, the government is now focusing on relief measures for animals in the region.
While the loss of human life has been great, animals have also borne the brunt of nature’s fury. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 9,833 animals have perished in the flood. This includes 409 cows, 196 buffaloes, 127 bulls, 349 mules and horses, 2,951 sheep and goat, 5,755 poultry. Many others are still stranded without food.
The NDMA is coordinating with the Uttarakhand government to provide relief. “The district administrations and local veterinary hospitals have been conducting relief work. A special team of 23 veterinary doctors, 37 livestock extension officers and 11 fourth class compounders have been deployed,” said Dr A K Sinha, senior research officer and coordinator, biological disaster management, NDMA. Feed has also been airlifted for 1,800 equines stranded between Govindghat and Ghangaria.
Other organizations have also stepped in. Brookes India Foundation has supplied 300 bags of feed while the Indian Army has supplied five truckloads of oat hay and 10 tonnes of crushed oat by road. “The only problem is airlifting animal feed as the focus is on providing relief to humans and the weather is not always conducive.” The Animal Welfare Board of India will also be sanctioning Rs 8 lakh for relief measures.
Loss of livestock has a huge impact on human lives, especially in regions like Uttarakhand where people are hugely dependent on animals to eke a livelihood.
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