KARIMNAGAR: Consumption of donkey milk has gone up in the town thanks to incidence of viral fevers and flu-like symptoms--asthma, running nose and cough. Hitherto it has been a practice in rural households as people here consume donkey milk to get relief from fever and cold during winter and rainy seasons.
Now it has spread to Karimnagar as well. No wonder, donkey owners are roaming in the streets selling the milk claiming that it has medicinal values to cure cough and asthma.
It is being sold at Rs 10 per bottle of 10 ml. Each owner is earning on an average Rs 300 by selling the milk. “Earlier I used to eke out a living as a shepherd. Following drought, now, I have switched to this business,’’ said Ravula Ellaiah who migrated to Karimnagar from Pothuganti village of Mustabad mandal.
According to him, another six families familiar to him migrated to various towns and are making a living by selling the milk. Speaking to Express, 80-year-old Manemma said, “Though it is new to this generation, we used to feed newborns with the milk soon after their birth.’’ “Besides infants, even some adults who find cow milk allergetic used to consume donkey milk. Everyone in our family has clear and husky voice as they all consumed the milk soon after they were born,’’ she pointed out.
Meanwhile, Yellambhatla Janardhan Sharma, a retired ayurvedic physician said: “The milk is generally used to make instant pills after mixing with herbal powder. It gives relief from asthma and cough.’’ “We have been feeding our 3-year-old son with donkey milk for the last one year as he has been suffering from breathing problems and lung infection as an alternative medicine,’’ said one Mohammed Hussain.
Maintaining that it was difficult to find donkey milk, he expressed joy as it is now being sold at his doorstep. With swine flu scare around consumption of donkey milk is fast catching up at several places in the district.