September 30, 2014

Drugged cattle sold in India's wholesale market

Thousands of cattle travelling to one of India's largest cattle markets ahead of the Muslim holiday Eid-ul-Azha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, on October 5 are reportedly being injected with the banned dichlorophen drug as soon as they have arrived from days of travel from different parts of India.

Cattle trader Debprashad Mondol explained that the banned dichlorophen as well as vitamins were necessary to banish the fatigue that the cattle suffer after five to seven days of travel to Bagachra Satmail cattle market in Sharsha upazila from different states including as far as Haryana.

It was reported that the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) has not deployed any of its staff to check on the use of the banned drug in the market, which attracts wholesalers, because of lack of testing equipment.

Bagachra Satmail cattle market is located close to the Bangladesh border. It is the largest in the southwestern region of India.