New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has made arrangements to shift stray cattle that have been roaming in the port land to a gaushala in Hosanagara.
Stray cattle have been roaming on the land since the port’s inception. Due to the high risk of the cattle being injured or even causing accidents, the Trust has recently launched a project to shift the stray cattle from the port area to the cattle care center as per the Animal Protection Act 1960.
Stray cattle roam freely in the middle of the dock area where a large number of trucks enter to load and unload cargoes and conduct operations. This disrupts smooth cargo operations and port operations. With the onset of summer, the cattle, unable to find enough food within the docks, roam around NH 66 causing problems for the heavy traffic movement on the road.
NMPT has entrusted the work of shifting the cattle to Ramachandrapura Mutt. The work is being administered by port officials along with the help of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
On Wednesday, the first batch of cattle was transported to a gaushala in Hosanagara. The project was kickstarted by leaders from Vishwa Hindu Parishad — Prof M B Puranik, and Sharan Pumpwell. The management of NMPT will assess the smooth transfer of these cattle and take further decisions on continuing the process.