Haryana: Over 70 cows die in shelter in Panchkula due to suspected food poisoning
29-October-2020

Over 70 cows died due to suspected food poisoning in a shelter attached to a temple in Haryana�s Panchkula on Wednesday, officials said.

Thirty other cows, who were also taken ill at the Mata Mansa Devi Gaudham, are responding to treatment, an official of Haryana�s Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department told reporters in Panchkula.

�We have collected water and feed samples and we can only arrive at any conclusion when we receive the test report... but prima facie, it looks like a case of food poisoning,� he said.

The General Manager (honorary) of the cow shelter, Ravinder Chihgal, said that vets were called on Tuesday evening when he came to know that some cows had fallen ill.

�The reports I have got is that the cows died due to food poisoning. But one thing which is clear that food poisoning was not due to the fodder we gave them.

�We suspect that some devotee who visited the temple was carrying some foodstuff which he gave to the cows causing food poisoning,� Chihgal told PTI over phone.

Chihgal, who is currently out of station, said the cows which died were from two particular sheds.
�We have a total of seven sheds in which nearly 1,400 cows are kept. Fatalities have been reported only in two sheds.

�Had there been food poisoning due to fodder, deaths would have been much higher,� he said.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, who is an MLA of the ruling BJP from Panchkula, visited the cow shelter and said he was deeply saddened by the incident.

�We will get an inquiry done to find out if there were any lapses which led to this incident� and taking a lesson from this, we will ensure that such incidents do not happen in future.

�Whatever precautions are needed, we will ensure they are taken in other gaushalas (cow shelter) also,� Gupta told reporters.