There is barely enough fodder stock to last two weeks, say sources.
At a
goshala or shelter for cows run by a private trust in Southern Karnataka's Tumkur district, its caretaker Suresh has an unenviable job. He has been instructed to serve only two portions of fodder, not the requisite meal of at least 3-5 kilograms of dry grass per day.
"The smaller ones fight among themselves and they scream. Sometimes there is not enough water. I feel sad leaving them hungry," he says.
As monsoon season wanes across India and many regions continue to reel under deficient rainfall, Karnataka seems to be suffering from another serious problem: an acute shortage of fodder for livestock. There is barely enough stock to last two weeks, according to sources in the government.
"We should open
goshala (shelters for cows) in every
taluk. But we can do something only when there is an acute shortage," says Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Karnataka witnessed severe drought, the worst in the last 40 years, during 2012 and 2013. Unofficial reports suggest the state recorded nearly 3,800 cattle deaths.
After NDTV reported on the alarming number, the government announced schemes to protect livestock by starting state-run cattle farms. Today, only two such farms exist.
Radha, an 8-year-old cow that belongs to Dakshinamurthy, a local farmer, seems to be shrinking. He may have to sell her off to a farmer in a monsoon-rich region, says Dakshinamurthy, as he cannot bear to watch her starve to death.
"The government had earlier released funds; where has that gone," he asks.
"We have standing instructions and permission to open
goshalas whenever and wherever necessary. The district collectors have been authorised to take those decisions," says agriculture minister Krishnabyre Gowda.
With a monsoon deficiency of 27 per cent, the state is waiting for the last spell of monsoon, and hoping to avoid a drought for the fourth consecutive year.