Veterinarian Dr Arvind Sharma's ongoing project will yield India's first-ever welfare assessment of cow shelters.
On day two of the just-concluded India For Animals (IFA) – the country's biggest, biennial event on animal welfare and rights, organised by Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) – Dr Arvind Sharma announced his one-of-a-kind project.
Formerly with the Himachal Pradesh state government animal husbandry department, the veterinarian, pursuing his PhD from the University of Queensland, will conduct Gaushalas in India: Contemporary Issues and Future Perspectives, the first-ever welfare assessment of Indian gaushalas (retirement homes for old, sick, infirm, and rescued cows).
Welfare auditing of any animal shelter or establishment, be it poultry farms, equine homes or gaushalas is not undertaken in India. Assessment of gaushalas in particular is of prime importance in light of gaurakshak activism and the resultant overcrowding of shelters.
Take Rajasthan's Hingonia gaushala. Touted "the best [of its kind] in Asia", a state government report showed that 8122 cows had succumbed to injuries and ill-health here between January and July 31 in 2016. In Uttar Pradesh, 30 cattle and their progeny are missing for over a month after being rescued from slaughterhouses and being sent to a gaushala in Noorpur – run by the Vrindavan Gaushala Uthhan Samiti – that did not exist.
India has 30% of the world's cattle but only 3% of the area to accommodate them, outlined Dr Sharma at his IFA session in Mumbai. With over 5.2 million stray cows – abandoned either for having exhausted their 'dairy shelf life' or due to rapid urbanisation and shrinking open spaces – the burden on gaushalas cannot be taken lightly.
"As per statistics by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), India has 1837 gaushalas. Official recognition comes when a gaushala receives AWBI funding. But as per my research, there are more than 5000 gaushalas in the country," Dr Sharma says. "So two-thirds of gaushalas are not registered since they aren't financially dependent on AWBI."
Some unregistered gaushalas are clandestinely operating as dairies, he adds. Another concern pertains to reported instances of gaushala animals being tested for the efficacy of vaccines, such as for tuberculosis.
With Gaushalas in India: Contemporary Issues and Future Perspectives, Dr Sharma will use animal-based indicators (health, access to food, water, movement and medical care), environmental indicators (cleanliness, ventilation, natural light, flooring) and interviews with 800-900 people (excluding 54 gaushala managers) to gauge public perceptions. In a groundbreaking move, stress levels of cows will also be measured via analysis of their tail hairs for cortisone levels.
Dr Sharma's study will take an estimated three years to complete. Upon completion, a welfare index will be compiled, and gaushalas ranked on the aforementioned indicators.
"With this study, we will set welfare benchmarks, ensure long-term sustainability, and find a balance between tradition and welfare science," Dr Sharma concludes.
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