56 cows die in Andhra Pradesh after feeding on pesticides

In a horrific incident in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, at least 56 cows died on Monday after allegedly consuming crops sprayed with pesticides.

Reportedly, the farmers woke up to the terrifying sight of carcasses spread across the field.

All 56 cows reportedly belonged to one Gundala Lakshmaiah, a resident of Neredcherla village in Nalgonda district in Telangana, bordering the two Telugu states. As per reports, the man had been herding cows from his village to Gurazala for 15 years.

Lakshmaiah brought 100 cows to the area to graze on. While 56 cows out of the lot died after consuming the crops laced with Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), the remaining 44 went unrestrained with the consequent pain of consuming the poison.

“From childhood, I have been fond of cows and took care of them even when our family went hungry. I am in shock. My livelihood has been snatched. I have lost more than 25 lakh after the tragedy,” Lakshmaiah was quoted as saying by TOI.

His 18-year-old daughter, Pramila, also requested compensation from the government on humanitarian grounds. She added that her father depended on the cattle to meet the family’s financial needs and is distraught after the tragedy took place on Monday.

As per reports, Gurazala RDO E Murali reached the locale after learning about the incident and collected further details before submitting a report to district collector Kona Sasidhar. The report will further be handed over to the Telangana government to help the farmer with sufficient compensation.