Drought: Families take shelter in cattle camps

Mumbai: Number of families has had to take shelters in cattle camps in a few drought-affected areas in the state due to unavailability of water.

Mann Deshi foundation on Wednesday published a cattle camp report, which depicted the grim picture in rural Maharashtra and said that the delay in setting up cattle camps would have killed many a cattle. They have also mentioned of various initiatives they have undertaken to save cattle in Mann Taluka of Maharashtra.

“I am worried for my daughter and I don't want to leave her alone at home nor wish for her to stay in a cattle camp,” said Kavita Dongare a woman who lives with her entire family in a cattle camp in Mann Taluka. Mann has the biggest cattle camp sheltering nine thousand cattle.

Ms Dongare said she had shifted to cattle camp with her two children because she is able to avail water there. She further asked if the government were to shut down the cattle camps, how was she going to save her cattle.

According to Vanita Pise, who runs the camp, at present, 14,000 families have taken shelter in the cattle camp.

Ms Pise said, “We have started cattle camp in January which actually saved the cattle. Otherwise they would have been sold in the Nagoba Yatra in which farmers sell their cattle. Some of them actually took back their cattle from the butchers.”

Aumkar Gonjari who stays at Mann and works in the Mann foundation said that there were 14,000 cattle in 2002 and the number has reduced drastically over a year because of drought.

Another woman, Rajashri Jadhav who works for cattle vaccination said that cattle require health facilities and home techniques are also used to aid the diseased
cattle.