HC takes note of cattle deaths, pulls up Chandigarh admn

Commenting on the conduct of enforcement agencies, Justice Vashisth noted that Chandigarh is widely regarded as a city with a high concentration of intellectuals from Punjab and Haryana. Despite this, officers tasked with enforcing the law and acting against defaulters had failed to discharge their duties, taking no steps to ensure discipline or compliance.

The Bench also referred to a media report stating that postmortem examinations conducted on nine cow carcasses found polythene bags and plastic waste in the stomachs of at least seven animals. Preliminary findings suggested this was the cause of death.

The court pointed out that polythene bags are banned in Chandigarh, yet their use continues openly due to the lax attitude of authorities responsible for taking strict action against violators. It observed that even educated residents dispose of vegetable waste and leftover food in polythene bags, which are then consumed by stray animals.

Tracing the background of the case, Justice Vashisth noted that the issue came to light following extensive media coverage reporting the discovery of multiple cow carcasses at the Makhan Majra incineration plant.