NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, MAR 15
The Gujarat State Animal Welfare Board has issued directives to ensure that dairies in the state stop malpractices and animal cruelty. The guidelines, as a result of an undercover investigative work done by The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), are issued to all dairy unions, district collectors, District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation to ascertain regulation and management of the state’s dairy industry.
Released in January 2020, FIAPO’s investigative report “A Dairy Snapshot – Links between animal health and animal welfare” had uncovered the cruelty meted to the dairy animals as well as the unsanitary conditions of milk production and its effects both on the health of the animals as well as humans who consume the milk. The animals were confined to ropes that were not even 3 feet long, made to stand in their waste all day, and were vulnerable to hot and cold weather and heavy rains with inadequate shelter. The animals also constantly suffered from injuries, infections, and other diseases and did not always get access to a veterinarian.
FIAPO also revealed that the farmers followed the practice of creating a khalbacchaor a makeshift calf by stuffing carcasses of calves with hay to trick the mother into thinking her calf was still alive to stimulate milk production in her.
Varda Mehrotra, Executive Director of FIAPO says, “This is a great initiative by the State Animal Welfare Board of Gujarat. Proper execution of these guidelines will play a huge role in prohibiting ill-treatment and cruelty towards animals by humans. We hope to see this replicated in other states.”
Following the launch of the report, FIAPO had asked the state government to regulate the dairies and to step in to ensure the welfare of the animals. The guidelines will help manage housing and environment, flooring, feeding, husbandry, milking, healthcare along with treatment of calves, bulls, and issues related to abandonment.
