Mass Cattle Deaths in Tinsukia Trigger Probe

Guwahati: Twenty cows died in just two days at the Tinsukia Gaushala in Jyoti Nagar. More than 300 cattle live at the shelter. Now, the facility faces a potential crisis as several other animals remain in critical condition.

Staff members claim the trouble started after animals ate puffed rice, known locally as muri or moodi. Two e-rickshaws collect food daily from markets and homes for the shelter. Volunteers from the Gau Sevak Parivar manage these daily collection runs. They picked up the suspect feed from the Tinsukia Siding Market.

Veterinary doctors from the Animal Husbandry Department arrived on site. They are treating the sick animals around the clock. Preliminary assessments point to food poisoning as the primary culprit. Gaushala authorities suspect the puffed rice may have turned toxic after exposure to rainwater, but they have not ruled out deliberate sabotage. The facility management has formally demanded a high-level inquiry to determine if there was foul play.

"The exact cause can only be determined after a detailed veterinary examination and investigation," experts noted. Officials await laboratory results to confirm how the contamination occurred. For now, the shelter and local activists wait for answers while struggling to keep the remaining cattle alive.