Eleven cows, a buffalo and a calf were found dead on Sunday evening in Kathwada GIDC area on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, allegedly because they had consumed grass made toxic by chemicals. Another 10 cows are currently under treatment for poisoning.
The incident caused panic among local people. The owners of the cattle informed Odhav police station about the incident. Police and officials from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Ahmedabad, reached the scene where the animals were found dead and began investigations into the incident.
Local people claimed that the cows and buffalo had died after consuming the grass near a factory and some white-coloured chemical waste thrown on a plot outside an office building of a Germany-based company. The company, Kloeckner Desma Machineries Private Limited (KDMPL), manufactures rubber injection molding machines.
The maldharis (shepherds) alleged that grass treated with poisonous chemicals had been dumped outside the office building. They blamed the company for the death of the bovines.
However, officials of the company refuted the allegations. Arun Kumar Mishra, administrative officer, KDMPL, said that Kathwada was an industrial zone and grazing of cattle here was illegal. “We had warned the maldharis many times but they never took us seriously,” he said.
Mishra further said that the office was an engineering unit of the company and not a chemicals factory. Hence, there is no question of chemical waste being dumped outside the office, he said. “There can be other reasons for the death of the cows and buffalo. The maldharis appear to have some vested interest in blaming the company,” he said.
The bodies of the animals have been sent for post-mortem. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has taken samples of the grass from inside the office premises, as well as of the grass found near the carcasses of the 13 bovines.
An FSL expert told DNA on the condition of anonymity that they had found one empty bag of 'phorate' pesticide from the garbage heap where the grass was dumped. "We will be able to comment only after the results of the final tests are received," he said.
JH Panchal, police inspector of Odhav police station, said that the maldharis had complained that the cause of death was consumption of chemically-treated grass or some poisonous substance dumped outside the office of KDMPL.
He further said that the postmortem and FSL reports will reveal the actual cause of death of the cattle. The cause of death can be consumption of poisonous water or chemical waste or any other reason, Panchal said. The maldharis whose cattle were found dead live close to HUDCO unit in the Kathwada area. One of them, Jigabhai Desai, said, "Each cattle is worth Rs50,000. As KDMPL is responsible for this, they should compensate us for their deaths."
In a written note to DNA, secretary of Kathwada Industries Association said that it is illegal to graze cattle or set them free in an industrial area like Kathwada. Yet people are trying to blame us for the death of the bovines, he said.
