TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
SANGUEM: Villagers from Kalay-Sanguem are aggrieved over the increasing number of stray cattle being housed at the government-run agricultural farm at Kalay.
The villagers led by Panchas Vilas Bicholkar and Vishant Kutkar claimed that the Kalay farm, which has a capacity to house 200 bovines, is almost filled with over 156 stray cattle being already rounded up at the farm during the last couple of months. The number is increasing by each passing day with four to five cattle being added.
Sources informed that the exercise of rounding the stray cattle at Kalay farm commenced after the last assembly session when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar directed shifting of stray cattle caught elsewhere in the State to the Kalay Agricultural Farm.
With the exercise presently followed by the government, Kalay villagers who were otherwise dependent on Kalay Agricultural Farm for fodder supply to their cattle are hard hit. With over 156 cattle at the Kalay farm, major chunk of the fodder produced at the farm is supplied to the impounded cattle with hardly any fodder left for sale to the villagers.
“Moreover, frequent death of the cattle at Kalay farm is also hounding the locals. Since the farm is located in the midst of the village, foul smell emanating from the cattle has also affected the villagers’ life,” complained Kutkar.
Kutkar said as the dead cattle are buried a few metres away from the bank of Kalay river, fears are expressed of carcass and other waste flowing into the river, thereby contaminating the water.
During summer, water from Kalay River is also supplied to Opa Water Treatment Plant through the augmentation scheme which connects the Selaulim Dam.
Villagers also complained that the Kalay Farm is understaffed and is badly in need of additional staff to look after the increasing number of stray cattle at the farm.
There are about 16 workers to look after the ever-increasing number of stray cattle at the farm of which some are due to retire shortly.
Panchayat members claim that while dairy producers in Kalay were looking forward for more fodder supply for their cattle from the farm, the impounded cattle have eaten away their only source of fodder supply and are now compelled to look for alternate sources thereby affecting their earnings.
