Marooned cattle at Madhepura too helpless to complain

Madhepura (Bihar), Sep.18 : Government agencies, including Indian Army Jawans, have been busy evacuating flood-hit people in Bihar, but the silent onlookers of the process have been dumb cattle who have been suffering silently for many days.

The cattle have been watching men being ferried on boats from flood hit areas to high grounds, but the Army Jawans do not seem worried about the cattle. Taking them to high ground also does not seem to be a priority for the State run agencies.

Those, who could afford, hired motorboats to rescue their cattle. But not many could afford the motorboats. Most of the other cattle are still in the swamps and are silently watching the boats go by.

"We not only rescued ourselves but also the rest of the people stuck in the affected areas. And now we are trying to rescue the cattle," says an official. But the officials have their excuse.

"It is indeed difficult to rescue these animals through the boats. If the cattle stir a little when the boat is moving, it becomes difficult for the boatman to oar," said Neeraj Kumar, owner of livestock.

Senior officials of the district administration, however, have refused to comment on the state of livestock.

Many people have taken their cattle to neighbouring Saharsa district, but there are still a large number of cattle marooned in Madhepura.

For the rescuers, the priority has been to save human lives. People wish to be rescued along with their families before anything else. About cattle, they feel bad but can do little else.

Most of the farmers, in the meantime, have lost touch with the location of the cattle.

The dumb cattle now have no one but only the almighty Gods to look forward too. They can only pray that they floodwaters will come down in the days to come. By Rudra Narayan Yadav

ANI