Karnataka government to propose Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act in coming assembly session
Bijapur: Reiterating that the BJP Government will certainly bring the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Hajj and Wakf, Prabhu Chavan has said that he plans to submit the details related to the Act in the coming assembly session.
Addressing presspersons on Tuesday, he however made it clear that the government is not in a hurry to bring the Act as a committee headed by the officials of the department has been constituted to study all aspects of the Act before its implementation.
“A team headed by the Commissioner of Animal Husbandry Department has been constituted which has been asked to study the Act which is already implemented in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Besides this, the discussion would also be held with other stakeholders such as farmers to bring the Act. We will surely bring the Act but not in haste”, the Minister asserted.
Earlier, he informed that a high-tech slaughterhouse is being built at the cost of Rs. 44 crore on a 20-acre land in Sira taluk in Tumkur district, and claimed that soon the building would be inaugurated.
Acknowledging that the department is facing a shortage of staff, Chavan said that while the sanctioned posts are around 18,000, the department presently functioning only with around 9,000 staff which is only half of the total sanctioned posts.
To a question, he said that he has talked to Chief Minister, B. S. Yediyurappa on the matter, and assured that the vacant posts would soon be filled.
Admitting that the cattle owners are regularly complaining of doctors not visiting the villages for providing treatment to cattle, Chavan said that he has planned to set up a helpline centre where the farmers could call for any complaint.
“The centre will receive calls from the farmers. After collecting the address, the complaint will be forwarded to the respective veterinary doctor of the area. The doctor after attending the complaint should also record it for any verification of the visit”, he said.
He however said that the plan is still in the nascent stage.
About the demand for the construction of Hajj houses in different districts, the Minister said that so far, besides Bengaluru, a Hajj house has been granted for Mangaluru. Based on the need and availability of land, more houses could be granted.
On the demand for increasing the quota for Hajj pilgrims of the State, he said that he would speak to the Central Government for increasing the quota.
MLA, Somanagouda Patil Sasnur was present.
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Karnataka records 274 springs in first statewide census, majority located in Western Ghats
Hubballi: In its first-ever comprehensive census conducted during 2023-24, Karnataka has identified 274 natural springs across the State with 144 classified as perennial, 114 as seasonal and 16 reported to have dried up.
The enumeration was carried out by the Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department in association with the Groundwater Directorate as part of a Union government initiative, according to a Deccan Herald report. Officials were quoted as saying that the nine-month exercise involved field visits to nearly all identified springs. These springs were digitally mapped using a dedicated mobile application.
Belagavi district recorded the highest number of springs at 59, followed by Uttara Kannada with 31, while Chamarajanagar and Kodagu reported 23 each. Dharwad, Ramanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Davangere and Kolar districts have one spring each.
Bendru Teertha in Dakshina Kannada is the only hot spring documented in the State, which is attributed to a distinct hydrological formation. Springs in Talacauvery in Kodagu, Javali in Chikkamagaluru and Ambutheertha in Shivamogga, are the source points of major rivers such as the Cauvery, Hemavathi and Sharavathi.
According to the directorate, springs are natural discharge points where groundwater flows to the surface through openings in the earth’s crust, which occur when the water table intersects with the ground surface or when groundwater is forced out through fractures, faults or permeable rock layers.
The Western Ghats and Malnad regions, covering districts like Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi and Shivamogga, account for a significant share of the springs due to high rainfall and favourable geological conditions.
K B Rajendra, Director of the Groundwater Directorate, was quoted by Deccan Herald as saying that nearly 80 per cent of the springs are located in rural areas. He noted that apart from those associated with religious or historical sites, most springs remain open and lack protective measures.
Noting their vital contributions to drinking water supplies and agricultural irrigation, especially in areas with hills and mountains, Rajendra said that these springs help maintain the flow of rivers and streams when the weather is dry, thereby supporting ecological balance and promoting biodiversity.
He added that the census findings would serve as a database for conservation, rejuvenation efforts, groundwater management and long-term water resource planning in the State.
