Cyclone Fani: More than 1,100 cattleheads and 6,000 sheep sent to higher reaches for safety

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Srikakulam animal husbandry department is taking measures to ensure the safety of cattle, sheep and goats, in vulnerable areas, likely to be affected by the cyclone.
The focus is on sea-shore mandals and mandals through which the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers pass through. The coastal mandals, where cattle are being relocated to higher ground are Itchapuram, Kaviti, Sompeta and Mandasa, while the other mandals are Jalamuru mandal, Kothuru Bamini and Hira Mandals.
Sources in the animal husbandry department observed that the villages where cattle are found in large numbers are Donkuru in Itchapuram, Vidwanipalem in Kaviti, Ramayyapatnam and Gollagandi in Sompeta and Vajrapukotthuru and Santhabommali in Mandasa mandal.
“The total number of bovines being re-located to open ground are over 1100, all from coastal villages. We have urged the farmers to relocate the cattle to higher ground from their sheds as most deaths happen when the roof-sheds collapse. The cattle are better off being left free on higher ground,” observed M Venkateswara Rao, Joint Director Animal Husbandry department.
Regarding sheep and goats, M Karunakar DD Animal Husbandry department observed that after the bitter experience last year, when more than 200 sheep were lost due to the flooding of the Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers last year, the department has advised the shepherds living in Bamini, Kothuru, Hira, Jalamuru mandals to make sure that the sheep are not brought near the rivers for grazing.
“The shepherds have been advised to stay away from the river banks as heavy rains in Odisha could result in the flooding of Srikakulam plains. The sheep and goats number almost 6,000 in the mandals through which the two rivers flow,” Said Karunakar.
Karunakar added that these animals were highly vulnerable as heavy rains up to 20 cms have been predicted by the MET department officials in the coming 24-36 hours.