A team of veterinary doctors at a government-run hospital in Berhampur, Odisha, conducted a four-hour-long operation to remove approximately 30 kg of plastic bags from the stomach of a 10-year-old cow on Wednesday. The Chief District Veterinary Officer of Ganjam, Manoj Kumar Sahu, stated that the stray cow had been feeding on leftover food dumped in polythene bags by people, leading to the accumulation of undigested polythene in its stomach, which eventually impacted its intestines. If left untreated, the cow would have faced a life-threatening situation.
According to Satya Narayan Kar, the lead veterinarian in the operation, the cow’s condition has stabilized after the surgery, and it will be kept under observation at the hospital for a week. Notably, this isn’t the first such case; last year, the hospital had successfully removed around 15 kg of plastic from another stray cow.
The incident highlights the grave issue of plastic pollution, despite the government’s ban on the use, transport, and manufacture of plastic for the past five years. Sudhir Rout, the founder of Aryabhatt Foundation, an organization campaigning against plastic use, expressed concern and called for proper enforcement of the ban by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.
Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to animals and the environment, and this incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address and combat this ecological issue.
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