Probe into ferrying of cattle in motor boat

After a video showing at least half-a-dozen cattle being ferried across the Godavari, perilously tied to a motor boat, in Charla mandal went viral on social media on Saturday, the authorities concerned on Sunday initiated a detailed inquiry into the incident.

The incident has not only brought to the fore the cruelty being meted out to cattle but also the potential danger of boat mishaps.

Sources said that some villagers from Mallepalli and its surrounding villages in Manuguru mandal purchased cattle at the weekly market in Charla and ferried them to their villages in a boat from the ferry point at Peddipalli in the Agency mandal on Saturday.

They used the shorter river route, putting the lives of the cattle as well as theirs in danger, to avoid high transportation costs involved in journey by road covering a distance of more than 50 km, sources added.

The video clip created a flutter in the Agency mandal amid allegations that the border mandal was being used as a transit point for illegal transportation of cattle from the weekly markets in Chhattisgarh to big cities and towns in the State.

When contacted, Charla tahsildar Prasad said that a thorough inquiry is being conducted into Saturday’s incident at the ferry point in Peddipalli to ascertain the facts. A detailed report will be submitted to the higher authorities on Monday, he said.