Teen farmer whose 13 cows died of food poisoning gets financial help from Celebrities, govt
Idukki: Two days after a young dairy farmer suffered a devastating loss, with as many as 13 of his 20 cows dying from suspected food poisoning, offers of new cows and financial assistance poured in from various quarters at their farm in this mountainous district of Kerala on Tuesday.
State ministers J Chinchu Rani and Roshy Augustine visited 15-year-old Mathew, the distressed young farmer, at his house in Velliyamattom village this morning and offered support and assistance from the state government.
Besides Kerala ministers, actor Jayaram also lent a helping hand to the teenaged Kerala farmer.
While the ruling CPI (M) offered to give two cows, business giant Lulu group handed over an amount of Rs five lakh to the family to buy 10 cows. Actor Jayaram, known for his love of animals, also visited the boy's house and handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to buy new cows and rebuild his farm.
ALSO READ: Young dairy farmer loses 12 cattle to suspected poisoning in Kerala
Jayaram said the film crew of the Malayalam movie 'Abraham Ozler', in which he stars, has opted to cancel the scheduled trailer launch event on January 4, and instead decided to donate the Rs 5 lakh allocated for it to Mathew's family.
Additionally, Jayaram conveyed to Mathew that actors Mammootty and Prithviraj will also be contributing financial aid of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively.
Earlier, Animal Husbandry Minister Chinchu Rani said that steps would be taken to hand over five insured cows to the young farmer soon. Cattle feed for one month would also be made available to him free of cost at the earliest, she said after visiting the young farmer and his family.
Furthermore, a financial assistance of Rs 45,000 from the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) would also be ensured for the distressed farmer, she added.
''All five cows will be of good breed. They will be given after they are insured. If any casualty happens to the cattle, he would get back the entire amount,'' she told reporters.
The minister, accompanied by Water Resources Minister Augustine, also advised Mathew to grow grass on unused properties in the area to ensure good-quality feed for the cattle.
Actor Jayaram, after handing over the cheque, said he could understand the sorrow of the young farmer and his family over the deaths of their dear cows.
''Everything will be alright soon,'' the actor said, consoling them.
He also told the farmer that he would help him buy high-bred cows from Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu at a good price.
After learning about the plight of the teenaged farmer from the media, Lulu Group chairman M A Yusuffali directed his company officials to visit their home and provide immediate assistance.
CPI(M) sources revealed that the party's state secretary, M V Govindan, contacted Mathew and his family members over the phone to offer consolation. He also extended the offer of providing them with two cows.
Thirteen of Mathew's 20 cows died on Sunday, following which he became distressed and was hospitalised.
Preliminary reports suggest that the cattle might have been affected by a poisonous substance called hydrocyanic acid (HCN) present in the tapioca skin used as feed, a non-conventional but cost-effective food for cattle, a government official said.
Three of the cows that survived are under treatment, while another cow with four calves has survived.
The losses incurred by Mathew is estimated to be around Rs 6 lakh, officials said, adding that unfortunately, the family had not insured the cows.
The boy, who took over the farm two years ago at the age of 13 after his father's untimely demise, relied on tapioca leaves as an economical alternative to conventional cattle feed.
Mathew's brother George and younger sister assist him with managing the farm.
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Syria says Israeli strikes leave 18 dead in the biggest toll since the war in Gaza began
Masyaf (Syria), Sep 9: The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 18 with dozens more wounded, Syria's health minister said on Monday — the largest death toll in such an attack since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
One of the sites targeted was a research centre used in the development of weapons, a war monitor said. Syrian officials said civilian sites were targeted.
Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — in Gaza.
However, the intensity and death toll of Sunday night's strikes were unusual.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.
Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Speaking to reporters, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash described the strikes as a “brutal and barbaric aggression”. He said the death toll had risen to 18 with nearly 40 wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 25 were killed, including at least five civilians, while the others included Syrian army soldiers and members of Hezbollah and other Iran-linked armed groups.
One strike targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf, and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the observatory said. It said the research centre was reportedly used for developing weapons, including short- and medium-range precision missiles and drones.
Minister of Electricity Mohammad al-Zamel said the strikes had caused “truly significant” damage to water and electricity infrastructure.
“This brutal attack targeted civilian targets, and the martyrs were mostly civilians, as were the wounded,” he said.
Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous, which the observatory said were the result of air defense missiles falling.
On Monday afternoon, a charred car remained at the scene of one strike and smoke was still rising from some spots where fires had been put out.
