Telangana hotbed for cattle trafficking

Hyderabad: According to officials of the Animal Welfare Board, Telangana has become a hub for the trafficking of cattle. They say that several laws are broken, and when citizens report these issues, they are threatened by wrongdoers.

Board officials who have conducted inspections say that there has been an alarming increase in the number of illegal slaughterhouses. They add that the illegal transport of animals between states has also increased.

Police officers say that they often find camels being brought to the state from Rajasthan for the purpose of conducting joyrides, and cattle that are unfit for consumption being transported. They say that rescue operations are usually launched after officers are alerted by citizens. The rescued animals are taken to animal shelters, and the wrongdoers are booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Rakesh Pandey, an official from Mumbai, says, “It has been appalling to see Telangana turn into a state of illegal animal-related activities over the past four months. Slaughterhouses openly defy the rules. After implementation of the ban on slaughtering in UP, many butchers have set-up shop in Telangana. The law needs to be enforced strictly. Animals are supposed to be slaughtered according to prescribed procedures, in a painless, hygienic way.” He adds that camels are brought to Telangana in trucks, right under the noses of lawmakers, but no action is taken to curb such activities.

Officials claim that there has been an increase in the number of slaughterhouses in and around Bandlaguda, Balapur, Saheed Nagar, Bahadurpur and Kothapet. The Animal Welfare Board has demanded strict action against animal cruelty and asked law officers to work towards the same.

Officers allege that the slaughterhouses receive tip offs regarding inspections, and they clear off before they can be caught. Neeru Gupta, an official from Delhi, says, “We sealed a slaughterhouse at Bandlaguda which was slaughtering around 300 animals per day. When we went to conduct a surprise raid, there were no cattle there, which means that information regarding the raid had been leaked. That is a serious offence.”

A team, consisting of officials from New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, has been formed to conduct investigations in Telangana.