Dharwad: Animal welfare helpline in a limbo

HUBBALLI: The Animal Welfare Helpline, started in June 2021 to protect animals, especially cows, is busy throughout the day.
Ashok Londe, an animal lover in Dharwad, said that he ahd tried calling the helpline number 8277100200 on November 30 from 11.30 am to 1.50 pm. "It was always telling me that it was busy. Stray cattle at Maratha Colony were severely suffering after lumpy skin disease. It's always unavailable when domestic cattle are suffering from lumpy skin disease," he said.
Animal enthusiast Harshavardhan Sheelavant rued that even if the calls go through, callers are being advised to tie stray animals to trees or somewhere else and then share the location of the spot. Callers are being urged to give the mobile number of cattle owners or nearby persons if it is stray cattle that they were complaining about. "How can we get the owner's number or nearby person's number?" Sheelavant asked. "Though the government has announced it as a 24x7 helpline, staff at the other end say that doctors are available only between 9am to 4pm. If one calls the helpline number, he never dares to call again in his life. It seems the government has not provided required staff and equipment to the department," he said.
He also said that the department is accepting grievances on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. "But many rural people and senior citizens can't use them to reach the department," he said.
Sunanda Bharamagoudar, a lecturer in Hubballi, said that when she called the helpline to get a stray dog treated, they insisted on bringing it to the veterinary hospital in Unkal. "As I was going to college, I could not do it. The department should publicise the limitations of the helpline so that we can decide whether we can get help from it or not," she said.
Prabhu Chavan, the animal husbandry minister, and Dr Umesh Kondi, the deputy director of animal husbandry and Veterinary Service, Dharwad, were unavailable for comment.