[Lumpy Skin Disease] AAP government assures Delhi High Court that cows will be given dignified burial, won't be skinned

The Delhi government on Friday assured the Delhi High Court that it will ensure that cows dying of lumpy skin disease are accorded a dignified without hurting sentiments of people..An assurance was made by Delhi Government’s Additional Standing Counsel (ASC) Sameer Vashisht after activist Ajay Gautam told a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad that under the garb of scientific disposal, cows are being skinned..Gautam moved the High Court by way of a public interest litigation demanding constitution of a team of doctors in each zone of the national capital, additional ambulances and a designated burial ground to deal with the lumpy skin disease spreading among cattle..A status report was filed by the Delhi government stating that till now no case of cattle death due to lumpy disease has been recorded in the national capital and that helpline numbers have been issued to report lumpy skin disease cases and that a location has also been identified for burial.However, Gautam said that he has pictures to show the death of cows in gaushalas (cow shelters) and that the government helpline is unresponsive. He also said that at present there are only two ambulances which do not even work during weekends..The High Court asked the Delhi government to contact private gaushalas and bring the cows to the location it has identified for burial.This exercise has to be concluded in four weeks..The Delhi government said that steps will be taken to increase the number of ambulances and that additional helpline numbers will be issued and more operators will be placed on the helpline..The Court has also issued notices to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Delhi Police directing them to file their responses on the issue.The matter will now be heard on December 14.