DEHRADUN: Days after the Char Dham Yatra began on April 30, the deaths of at least 20 horses and mules on the Kedarnath route have raised serious concerns over animal welfare, prompting authorities to impose a 24-hour ban on equine operations.
The fatalities occurred swiftly after the beginning of the pilgrimage season, raising immediate concerns about animal welfare. Although the government has confirmed only 16 deaths, the incident has sparked widespread worry.
Dr BVRC Purushottam, Secretary of Animal Husbandry, rushed to Rudraprayag following the reports and held a review meeting with the district administration. Speaking to this newspaper, Dr Purushottam confirmed the reason behind the temporary halt. "The Animal Husbandry Department has taken this decision following complaints of the Equine Influenza virus in the animals," he said.
Pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham Yatra, including senior citizens and those with difficulty walking, often rely on horses and mules to navigate the steep mountain climbs. Dr Purushottam provided an update on the situation concerning equines on the route, including screening efforts and planned investigations into recent deaths.
Secretary Purushottam further said, "A team is coming from the Government of India. Since April 4, we have screened 16,000 horses and mules. In 26 days of sero sampling, 152 of these have been found positive. The cause of death for the horses will be known after the team from the Government of India arrives and investigates."
Speaking to TNIE, animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi criticised the government's handling of an animal disease outbreak affecting equines (horses and mules) used on pilgrimage routes. "While the government figures are certainly 16, the number of dead animals is more than 30," Gauri told this newspaper.
She also said, "It is disappointing that despite having knowledge of the outbreak for more than one month, the notification of containment areas has not been done under the provisions of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act 2009."
"The government’s priority is rightly to provide every convenience to pilgrims. But the yatra will definitely be adversely interrupted if carcasses are strewn all along the route. The deaths of equines that have happened could have been prevented if a strict lockdown for equines was imposed and sick animals were not made to work for petty commercial gains," added Gauri.
Gauri alleged that animals used to ferry pilgrims on pilgrimage routes are being overburdened. Speaking to TNIE, Gauri said, "In the yatra season of 2023 when the pilgrimage to four Himalayan shrines started, a total of 115 mules and horses used to ferry devotees on Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib routes died in the very first two months of the Yatra."