In a swift operation launched since Tuesday evening, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel with the cooperation of villagers have managed to rescue several of the ill-fated cattle, who were had reportedly got entangled in water hyacinth, floating aquatic plants, in a water body at Kaliyavoor near Marudur dam in Srivaikuntam.

The hyacinth-filled water body at Kaliyavoor in Thoothukudi district

Madurai:

Around 70 cattle were rescued on Tuesday and 15 more were rescued on Wednesday.

The rescue personnel on Wednesday found a dead cow, which was sent for post-mortem examination. The villagers were not aware of the exact number of cattle that had left for grazing.

Being alerted by the villagers through Revenue Department officials, the personnel along with fire tenders from Srivaikuntam and Sipcot rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation on Tuesday evening. As many as three earth movers were engaged in removing the hyacinth.

Thoothukudi Sub-Collector MS Prashanth along with the Revenue staff and officials from Department of Animal Husbandry, inspected the rescue operations.

The cattle were suspected to have deviated from their path while grazing and had accidentally got entangled in the two-foot-high water hyacinth. Since such plants grow in uncontrolled environment, it was difficult for the rescue personnel to spot the cattle in distress, Prashanth told DT Next.

Villagers blamed the district administration for not undertaking desilting work in waterbodies despite repeated requests.