Kendrapada: A total of 73 buffaloes of three families of Ekamania village under Aul block of Odisha’s Kendrapada district died while crossing a river.
Sources said the buffaloes, owned by Ganesh Das, Jagannath Das, and Pagala Biswal, reportedly drowned in the water on Sunday after being swept away by strong current while crossing Galia River, a tributory of Brahmani.
The mass bovine deaths sparked alarm and panic among villagers. While the buffaloes drowned after being swept away by the strong currents, it is being alleged that they died after drinking the river water which was contaminated due to shrimp farming.
As per reports, a herd of 88 buffaloes belonging to the three local farmers had been released by their owners for grazing in the morning. Moving along the bank, the animals entered the river.
According to the owners, the buffaloes were unable to swim forward after moving some distance, and one after another drowned in the river as the current increased suddenly.
They also claimed that the river was polluted with shrimp farming insecticides. Among the dead buffaloes, Ganesh lost 40, Jagannath 17 and Pagala 16. Jagannath and Pagala managed to save 3 and 12 buffaloes, respectively.
Each buffalo reportedly produced an average of 10 litre milk per day, with Ganesh’s herd alone contributing over 15 litre daily. With their sole source of income gone, the farmers have appealed to the government to provide immediate financial assistance.
While the exact cause of the mass livestock drowning deaths will be probed by the veterinary team, it is suspected that the buffaloes died after consuming the polluted water. Sources said some miscreants had released insecticides into the river to harvest shrimps quickly the previous day. It is likely that the buffaloes fell sick and drowned after consuming the toxic water as it is not possible for so many of them dropping dead at the same time, they added.
Following the incident, a team of veterinary doctors visited the spot to conduct post-mortem examinations in order to determine the cause of the mass deaths. The exact reason is yet to be established and investigation in progress.