RAHIM YAR KHAN0-Five cows expired while 70 other cattle heads affected after eating poisonous molasses mixed Bagasse in Chak 217/1-L of Cholistan, some 92km from here.
Dr Abdul Rasheed Shani of Cholistan Veterinary Department informed that a resident of Cholistan near head Farid, Abdul Rehman Ghuman complained about the illness of his cattle.
He said that after the complained he immediately reached the site where four cows and a calf were expired and 70 other cows and calves were in critical condition.
He informed that when he asked Rehman, he (Rehman told that he has bought a trolley of sugarcane waste Bagasse from Hamza Sugar Mills worth Rs23,000. Rehman feed his cows and calves with this Bagasse who fell ill after eating it.
Dr Shani further said that he with his team treated the cattle with anti-poisoning medicines the whole day, which at least helped all cows and calves recovered.
He said that many residents of Cholistan area buy Bagasse for their cattle due to unavailability of fodder in drouth affected desert. Secondly, residents of Cholistanis feed their cattle with Bagasse for increasing milk production.
Because cattle like the Bagasse, which not only fulfils vitamins deficiency among cattle but also increase their weight. When questioned about poisoning of the Bagasse, Dr Shani said that the Bagasse may be get poisoned because it was the first waste mixed with chemicals after start of crushing season by the sugar mills.
He, however, said that it could be examined after sending its samples to laboratory or after post-mortem of the dead cows.
When contacted GM Admin Hamza sugar Mills Col (r) Sikandar said that he was at Lahore and not knew about the incident.
He said that it was a baseless allegation against the sugar mills without the chemical examination of the Bagasse.
He said that his sugar mills sells Bagasse to everyone and mostly people use it as fertilizer in fields.
“The sugar mills never recommend its use fodder for cattle,” he asserted.