Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: The workers of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena under the leadership of president, Ashok Gupta took out a protest in Jammu city demanding the removal and resettlement of pony and ‘Ghodawalas’ from the Mata Vaishno Devi track.
The protesters said that a large portion of waste is generated by the 5,000 horses, mules and ponies deployed to carry the pilgrims to the temple, adding some of the dung is dumped at Banganga and the most of it is lying all over the passage which certainly is injurious to health.
They said that these animals were a source of a highly contagious and communicable zoonotic disease called glanders.
“The equine owners are at the greatest risk of being exposed to the deadly glanders virus which has no cure anywhere in the world. The person who contracts it from a horse/mule dies of flu-like symptoms,” the protesters added.
Ashok Gupta said that Maneka Gandhi who is a passionate animal rights activist has noted that it is next to impossible to provide Veterinary Services and Surveillance across the track.
He stated that steps towards phasing out equines and replacing these high maintenance animals with battery operated carts on the track can be operated by the same persons who until now used animals.
He further said that the pilgrims visiting the shrine are of utmost importance and there safety is of optimum priority to the Shrine Board.
The party people who attended the protest were Vijay, Tony, Bantu, Kalu, Dinesh, Rakesh and Ganesh.
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