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Tag: cattles

  • ‘We will seize stray cattles to avoid destruction of trees planted along streets’ – Ashanti Regional Security Council

    ‘We will seize stray cattles to avoid destruction of trees planted along streets’ – Ashanti Regional Security Council


    The Ashanti Regional Security Council has issued a stern warning, indicating its intention to take custody of stray cattle found roaming without supervision from their owners.

    The council has voiced its apprehension regarding the ongoing destruction of trees planted along streets and other strategic locations in various parts of the region due to the presence of stray animals.

    In several areas across the Ashanti Region, stray animals are observed wandering freely, causing damage to both public and private properties.

    This uncontrolled movement of animals occasionally results in traffic congestion, posing a significant public inconvenience.

    Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister and chair of the Security Council, has affirmed that measures will be implemented against the owners of these animals.

    “We have tried to regreen Kumasi to bring back the garden city that we all knew, unfortunately, we are disturbed by cattle. Almost all the trees we planted in 2023 have been destroyed.

    “This time we are going to take stringent action against the owners of the cattle. We’re going to engage people who are good at catching stray cattle, we will pay them within that period, and they will ensure that the trees are not destroyed by cattle.”

  • Gujarat: In a show of protest, cows ran amok in Indian government facilities

    Thousands of cows have been released in protest at the lack of promised government assistance by charitable trusts that operate livestock shelters in the Gujarat state of western India.

    Videos of cows walking through government buildings have gone viral.

    Protesters have threatened to boycott the upcoming state election if the government fails to release funds.

    Gujarat is among several Indian states reeling from a lumpy skin disease outbreak, leading to cattle losses.

    The state has reported more than 5,800 cattle deaths, while nearly 170,000 are estimated to have been affected by the disease.

    Cows are sacred animals for India’s majority Hindu community, and slaughtering them is illegal in 18 states, including Gujarat.

    In 2017, Gujarat tightened its cow protection laws by notifying that those slaughtering a cow could be punished with a life sentence.

    An unintended consequence has been a large number of cattle roaming the streets, causing traffic snarls, or landing up at shelters.

    In its budget for this year, the Gujarat government had allocated 5bn rupees ($61m; £57m) to maintain shelters for cows and other old animals in the state.

    Shelter managers, however, said they had not received any money under the scheme and felt “cheated” by the government.

    They added that despite several representations to the government, they had not been offered any solutions.

    Cows block a national highway in Gujarat
    IMAGE SOURCE, PARESH PADHIYAR Image caption, Protesters say they not have received any aid promised to cattle shelters by the government

    The Indian Express reported that nearly 1,750 cowsheds run by charitable trusts, which house more than 450,000 cattle, had joined the protest.

    “BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are providing support. Even Congress-ruled Rajasthan is offering 50 rupees for one cow. So why has Gujarat failed to support cows?” Vipul Mali, general secretary of the Gujarat Gau Seva Sangh – which runs cow shelters for sick cattle – was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

    Reports say in the past few days, cattle have taken over roads, local courts, and government buildings in several parts of Gujarat.

    In one government office, protesters showed up with cow urine and dung.

    Police said they had detained 70 protesters in the districts of Banaskantha, Patan, and Kutch.

    The Gujarat animal husbandry minister admitted that aid had been delayed due to “administrative tangles” and promised to find a “positive solution” in a day or two.

    Protesters have now threatened a wider agitation if their demands are not met by the end of the month.