UP launches first sanctuary for 5,000 cattle
Spread across 50 acres of forest land near a village in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh now has its first cow sanctuary that can accommodate up to 5,000 cattle, animal husbandry officials said.
Built as part of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the facility, located in the Purkaji area of the district, will be operated by the Govardhan Cow Service Committee. Its objective is to tackle stray cattle menace, and promote livestock development, farmers' welfare and rural entrepreneurship, the officials added.
At present, the state has over 14 lakh stray cattle (1.30 lakh in urban and semi-urban areas) housed across 8,381 conservation centers, according to government data. Also, 12.50 lakh stray cattle were housed in 7,713 rural cow shelters, the government had said last month.
The Muzaffarnagar facility's official inauguration was held on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Union minister SP Singh Baghel and state cabinet minister (animal husbandry and dairy development) Dharampal Singh.
The cow sanctuary, at present, shelters around 2,300 cattle gathered from villages of Muzaffarnagar, they said, adding the project was built at ₹63 crore.
Speaking at the inauguration, Baghel emphasised that doubling farmers' income required diversification beyond traditional crops. 'Animal husbandry is vital for farmers' prosperity, and the government is committed to making them self-reliant,' he noted.
He added that the cow sanctuary would provide free training in artificial insemination and basic veterinary care to farmers and youth, equipping them with skills to generate additional income sources.
The project was expected to set a benchmark for cow conservation, farmers' training, and rural development initiatives in the region, he said.
Dharampal Singh stated that the initiative would not only resolve the problem of stray cattle but also benefit the farmers of the region. Also, the minister emphasised the need to adopt organic farming, animal husbandry, and beekeeping in order to fulfill the prime minister's dream of doubling farmers' income.
Muzaffarnagar MP and Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Sanjeev Balyan said: 'An animal hospital has also been established in the sanctuary. Around ₹4 lakh is being spent daily on the amenities here. This initiative has also provided employment to around 200 people.'
'Soon, a breed improvement centre will also be set up here, which will help enhance the milk production capacity of cows. An emphasis was also placed on the importance of providing higher education to children—because an educated generation will be the true driver of change in society,' he added.
The center has a round-the-clock facility for trained staff, who include three veterinary doctors, a fodder inspector, a sanctuary supervisor and six para veterinary assistants. 'The staff looking after care and treatment of the animals are being paid from CSR funds,' said chief veterinary officer Jitendra Gupta.
According to veterinary department officials, plans to develop similar cow sanctuaries in Agra and Bareilly were under consideration. Baghel, who represents Agra in the Lok Sabha, and Dharmpal Singh have moved proposals in this regard.
Last week, the UP government said it was spending ₹7.5 crore per day on the maintenance of stray cattle in the state.
Also, Dharampal Singh had said in the state assembly that the problem of stray cattle had been effectively addressed with the state government setting up 7,713 cow shelters. He also said there were 12.43 lakh cows in the state, and the government had increased allowance for maintenance of cows from ₹30 to ₹50 per day.
The UP minister had also said 1.63 lakh cows had been given to 1.05 lakh people as part of the Mukhyamantri Sahabhagita Yojana. He said a committee comprising officers of six departments had been set up. 'On the recommendations of the committee, stray cattle are sent to cow shelters... the state government has decided that stray cattle in the villages close to the highways would wear radium plates around their necks. Assistance of ₹4 lakh is given in case of the death of a person in an accident caused by a bull,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Maulana Azad fellowship delay hits 1,400 PhD scholars; stipends stalled since Jan
New Delhi: More than 1,400 PhD scholars relying on the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) face mounting financial distress as stipend payments remain stalled since January 2025, with the researchers raising concerns that the lack of funds has threatened their academic progress and basic sustenance. Introduced in 2009 by the Union ministry of minority affairs, MANF supports PhD candidates from minority communities –– including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis, who clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) and come from families earning under ₹6 lakh annually. Scholars receive ₹37,000 monthly as junior research fellows (JRF) for the first two years, rising to ₹42,000 for the subsequent three years as senior research fellows (SRF). As of December 2023, 907 JRFs and 559 SRFs depend on the scheme. Despite government assurances in December 2022 that existing scholars would continue receiving support even as new admissions stopped, disbursements became erratic, the scholars said. The transfer of nodal agency responsibilities from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) in late 2022 introduced significant administrative hurdles. The fellowship's budget was also cut down this year by 4.9% — from ₹45.08 crore to ₹42.84 crores. 'Until 2022, everything was going smoothly,' said Nazia Israr, a MANF scholar at Kashmir University. 'Then, UGC said they would no longer be the nodal agency... After that, our fellowships just stopped.' Scholars describe endless cycles of document verification, Aadhaar linking, and unfulfilled promises. 'We kept going from our universities to banks to ministries. Every time they say, 'approval is pending'. But no one tells us from whom,' she added. The financial impact is severe. 'From January 2025 till now, I haven't received a single rupee,' Nazia said. Her personal life mirrors the crisis: 'My rent is unpaid. My research has been derailed. I just got married. My husband also has responsibilities — how long can he fund my education?' She emphasised the fellowship's deeper meaning: 'This fellowship was not just financial aid. It was hope.' Opposition lawmakers have raised the delay in disbursement of funds with the government. On 27 April, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi received a plea from the scholars demanding immediate payment of dues, implementation of revised House Rent Allowance (HRA) matching UGC norms effective January 2024, and regular monthly disbursements. Other opposition lawmakers including SP's Zia Ur Rehman Barq, DMK's T Sumathy, and the Congress's Mohammad Jawed wrote directly to Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, stating the stress the scholars are facing over the lack of funds. 'The delay has caused severe financial and emotional stress... This is not the first time,' Jawed said in his April 24 letter, referencing similar delays in 2023-24. Sumathy and Barq highlighted the HRA disparity: UGC JRF-SRF scholars received increases (9% to 10%, 18% to 20%, 27% to 30% in January 2024, but MANF rates remain unchanged. Barq stressed the scheme's purpose: 'Timely financial support is crucial to safeguard academic progress and uphold inclusivity.' An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged funds exist but stated disbursement approval is pending. 'The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has the money but we haven't gotten approval to disburse the same. Once we get the approval, we will immediately pay out but there are issues with guideline changes and nodal agency change so it's taking time,' said the official.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
In 10 years, Goa loses a fifth of its tree cover
Margao: The state has lost over a fifth or 22% of its tree cover in recent years. Centre's data shows that Goa's tree cover peaked at 334sqkm in 2010-11, but fell to 258sqkm by 2021-22 — a loss of 76sqkm over a decade. This represents a 22.8% drop from the peak coverage. According to the latest data released by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation in the 'EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics' report, Goa's tree cover peaked at 334sqkm in 2010-11, but declined to just 258sqkm by 2021-22 — a loss of 76sqkm over a decade. This represents a 22.8% reduction from the peak coverage. The data shows a significant initial recovery period from 2000 to 2010-11, when tree cover expanded from a mere 62sqkm to 334sqkm — a more than five-fold increase. However, this positive trend reversed sharply after 2010-11, with consistent year-on-year losses. The steepest decline occurred between 2015-16 and 2017-18, when tree cover dropped from 323sqkm to 272sqkm — a loss of 51sqkm in just two years. Experts said this period coincides with increased development pressures and infrastructure expansion across the state. The current tree cover of 258sqkm represents approximately 7% of Goa's total area of 3,702sqkm. Activists have already been calling for immediate action to reverse this trend and protect the remaining green cover in the state. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 released by the Union environment ministry in Dec showed that from 2021 to 2023, Goa's total forest cover came down by 1.50sqkm or 150ha. Goa's total forest cover now stands at 2, loss of forest cover was higher in North Goa at 90ha, besides a loss of 60ha of forest cover in South Goa. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Fake biodegradable plastic a worry, no regulation or crackdown
BENGALURU: Plastic waste management continues to be a challenge for the authorities: Plastic materials are often passed off as biodegradable items, while at the household level. the way plastic items are handled is a concern. The Union government banned single-use plastic and issued directions to encourage other recyclable items on July 1, 2022. It was part of Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021. The government issued a notification for the ban on August 12, 2021. However, there has been little impact on ground. Experts say that despite awareness, people continue to use plastic bottles and carry bags as the government has been unable to regulate their manufacture and use. A senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official from Delhi admitted that the drive to control plastic menace has reduced over time. An official from Karnataka regional CPCB office said that earlier. inspections were done on a monthly basis and urban local bodies officials were also guided. This has now come down. Divya Tiwari, adviser, Saahas, NGO working on waste management said, despite clear definitions on plastic waste management rules, ground operations continue to be an issue. Biodegradable plastic is seen as an alternative to plastic, but most are fake. 'We are demanding the government have a colour code of them with proper identification for people to know. Visual distinction of biodegradable plastic is a challenge,' she said, adding that ideally biodegradbale plastic should self degrade in 90 days, but fake items take 180-200 days. Experts also pointed out that the government has no method of collection and disposal of biodegradable plastic, which makes matters worse. Industries handling plastic waste are not accepting biodegradable plastic items due to their poor quality. This apart, small plastic items are adding to the menace. Tejaswini Ananthkumar, Chairperson and co-founder of Adamya Chetana Foundation, said more awareness on plastic waste management is needed. People can do their little bit by simply not cutting the edge of their milk/curd plastic packets. 'This is being told since 2019. Collecting and recycling small plastic is difficult. It has become a large contributor to plastic pollution and has now entered the food chain. Another concern is the use of paper glasses for they have plastic linings and in 15 minutes, a cup filled with tea/coffee generates 25,000micro plastic.'
