Uttaranchal move on livestock flayed

By Our Staff Correspondent

DEHRA DUN, DEC. 14. The Uttaranchal Cabinet's decision giving the green signal for the ten-year Centre-sponsored project to improve the variety of livestock by introducing hybrids has come under sharp criticism from citizens and NGOs. Describing the decision as ``suicidal'', Mr. Praveen Kaushal of the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) said experience had shown that hybrid varieties of cattle were suited to areas having normal weather conditions and big dairy farms and not places like Uttaranchal, where most of the land was hilly and had adverse climatic conditions.

The local cows, sheep or goat were small in size and well-tuned to the weather conditions where water and fodder were scarce. Accustomed to local conditions, these animals had immense immunity against diseases and served the interests of the local people. Against this, the hybrid cattle had to be stalled and the first casualty was the girl child who was asked to attend to the animals at the cost of her education.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Activists sore, conservatives happy