HYDERABAD: If uranium mining indeed takes place in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve within Nallamala forest, it is not just the Tiger that would lose its habitat. The Poda Thurupu cattle, the first cattle breed set to be recognised by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) as native to Telangana, is also likely to fall victim to the government's aggressive push towards uranium mining.
This would have a severe impact on the people in the region, including tribals, who are dependent on the rearing of the cattle breed and use it for farming.
The cattle is bred in Amrabad forest, and also in adjoining areas of Achampet, Lingal and Padra. There are an estimated 15,076 Poda Thurupu cattle heads in the State.
In the past, the Telangana State Biodiversity Board and a few NGOs had made efforts to get Poda Thurupu registered as a native breed of Telangana. According to conservationists working on this project, it is expected to happen by the end of October this year.
Speaking to Express, a conservationist working on the documentation of the cattle breed said, "Poda Thurupu plays an important part in the lives of people living in dry areas, like Amrabad and a few other parts of southern Telangana.
The species has been developed over the years, by letting it graze inside the forests. It is not a stall-fed animal. As a result, it is a strong breed requiring less water and fodder than others, and at the same time, has good draft power.
The areas in and around Amrabad are the primary breeding tract of this breed. If this area is destroyed, then their numbers are bound to decline. Same quality of breed cannot be found or bred elsewhere."
MA Salim, Director of the NGO Conservation of Nature through Rural Awakening (CONARE), said, "Males of the cattle breed find good demand from farmers in Mahbubnagar and other parts of the State. Almost seventy per cent bulls sold at Amrabad are to farmers from other districts."
Online petition on Nallamala mining gains momentum
The noise against uranium mining in Nallamala forests is becoming louder each passing day, especially among the netizens.
Two online petitions in English and Telugu, filed in opposition to the mining and addressed to the President of India and various government agencies, have received more than 2,40,000 signatures in support.
The petitions were started by left-wing youth organisation Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). The English and Telugu petitions received almost equal number of signatures in support.
The astonishing part is that although the online petitions on ‘Change.org’ have been on internet for a month, they started gaining traction over the last two days when popular celebrities like Samantha Akkineni signed it and shared it on their Twitter handles