A couple of years ago Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (henceforthreferred as BMC) opened Animal Welfare Center (henceforth referred as AWC) at village Jamukoli which is about 6 km from Lingaraj Temple Road railway station.
The stray cattle of Bhubaneswar city are sheltered there for treatment. During last very serious cyclone Fani on 12th May, 2019, the shelter houses at AWC and compound wall were destroyed and big trees fell down. Since then repaire and renovation has not been done.
The management of AWC is highly disturbing. Although government spends money for food, treatment and care of indoor cattle, there is smell of corruption. The cattles are reducing to skeleton and perishing with hunger as learnt from local villagers. During 2018-19, in view of World Cup Hockey at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, government decided to shift stray cattle from Bhubaneswar city to AWC. It is learnt that about 100 cattle were sifted over there. A total sym of ₹.2,81,000/- were disbursed to Shri Amulya Nayak, Secy. PFA, Jagatsinghpur, at:Kaladhari, PO:Tarapur,Dist. Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, through Dr. S.Pradhan,AVAS, Bisamakatak, deployed to BMC. Out of ₹.2,81,000/- total amount, ₹.50,000/- was paid to him on 26.11.2018, ₹.48,000/- on 21.12.2018, ₹.50,000/- on 25.1.2019, and ₹.50,000/- in shape of cash and ₹.83,000/- on 16.8.19 by means of A-c payee cheque. The exact details of cattles shifted, expenses incurred for food, medicine etc are not known. However, the local people near AWC say that most of the cattle brought over there died.
As usual, Rehabitat Foundation regularly receive phone calls regarding ailing animals, accident victim animals and we facilitate rescue, treatment with government field functionaries.
It is worthwhile to mention here the foot disease of a bull of Pokhariput (near Lingaraj Temple Road railway station). We coordinated with present SDVO Shri Sudhir Kumar Senapati and BMC Dy. Commissioner Shri SS Sethy. They took care and the bull was shifted to AWC Jamukoli. I requested the madam who referred the case, to go to the AWC and see the treatment. She went there what she saw was horrible. There is no trap for which the bulls are enforced to fall on ground using muscle and crude method. The smallest requirements like a tray to carry medicine, gauge cloth, cotton other equipments was not available. A bag of food and bunch of straw was seen for about 20 animals during the time of her visit. Even the water tanks were empty.
After seeing the miserable condition of animals, we wrote to BMC Commissioner. Just after two days, during the second time visit the madam saw tha the already dug well was fixed with a pump and all empty tanks were filled with water by means of newly bought plastic pipes.
The entire details of problems have been taken up with concerned authorities of Government. I also wrote to AWBI. They in return directed the DM, Khordha and other concerned authorities of Government to see that appropriate care of animals must be taken.
We are following up with Government.
Bhawani Sankar Nanda Rehabitat Foundation, Bhubaneswar.