KASUR: Bones and carcasses of eight cattle heads in Roshan Bheela village have made the locality horrid for its residents.

The cattle belonged to farmer Muhammad Niaz, says Karam Din of the village. Niaz alleged that while his family had gone to a wedding on Friday, some people mixed poison in the water tank in the barn. When the cattle were taken to the barn from fields in the afternoon, the cows and buffaloes drank the water and suddenly started falling one after another.

Niaz alerted emergency police at 15 and the livestock department. By the time vets arrived, eight buffaloes had died, while the condition of three cows was critical. He had about 40 animals that were dear to him like his own children. The loss was estimated to be about Rs1.5 million, he sobbed.

Niaz’s son Muhammad Shakeel told Dawn that livestock officials had taken blood samples from the carcasses but their report would be compiled in a few days to ascertain the cause of death. He alleged that Roshan Bheela police checkpost officials were asking them to arrange a car for them to visit Lahore to pick up the report from the laboratory. He also alleged that police officials were minting money from them on different pretexts.

A villager requesting anonymity said that despite the animals being treated for poison, the farmer was still milking them and supplying the milk to the market. He demanded the livestock department visit Niaz’s pen and nurse the animals.

As the family of Niaz is trying to ascertain those behind the animals’ deaths, the carcasses have been left unattended in the village.

According to villagers Khalil Ahmed, Muhammad Arshad and Muhammad Yousaf, the unbearable stench of the dead animals had made the whole village sick and their repeated complaints with the Kasur district administration and the district council for removal of the bodies had remained unanswered.

Roshan Bheela, being the hometown of former chief secretary and Punjab ombudsman Javaid Mahmood, has a hospital, a veterinary dispensary, parks and a library. According to some villagers, the district administration chose to overlook the village after Mr Mahmood established his own political party -- Pakistan Roshan League.

District Officer (Livestock) Dr. Khalid Bashir was not available for comment.

Deputy Commissioner Ammara Khan said it was the responsibility of the district council to remove the bodies. She said she had passed on instructions to the chief officer of the district council to look into the matter.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2017