NGT notice to Centre on plea to ban slaughter of cattle

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal Wednesday sought response from the government on a lawyer's plea seeking nationwide ban on slaughter of indigenous breeds of cattle.

A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi issued notice to Ministry of Agriculture while seeking its reply by October 30.

The directions came while hearing a petition filed by advocate and environmentalist Ashwini Kumar, who has approached the green panel against the looming threat of extinction of indigenous breeds of cattle in the country.

"Even developed countries are taking steps to preserve diversity in livestock and taking substantial steps to preserve and conserve their domestic livestock species," the plea said, adding "the government authorities at the national, state, and local levels are silent spectators to this destruction".

Highlighting the need for indigenous breed of cattle, Kumar has said that indigenous breed of cattle has a better disease resistance power and can adapt themselves better to frequent weather changes and climatic disturbances.

"Direct respondents to take necessary steps to ensure that milch cattle of indigenous breeds are not slaughtered; and take necessary steps to carry out research in improving thier milk yield without resorting to cross-breeding," the plea said.