Use cow dung paint in all buildings of livestock department: Minister

In a move that may set a precedent for other government departments to emulate, all buildings and offices of the livestock department will be painted with cow dung-based organic paint. Uttar Pradesh’s animal husbandry and dairy development minister Dharmpal Singh issued directives to this effect in a meeting with officials here on Tuesday.

The animal husbandry department has its sprawling headquarters with officers’ residences in the state capital as well as offices in every district.

“Ensure the use of cow dung-based paint in all buildings of the animal husbandry department,” the minister told the officials. He directed them to prepare a comprehensive plan to set up cow paint production units in all districts, using Budaun’s model as a reference. However, the minister has not set any deadline for the work to start.

The move comes after chief minister Yogi Adityanath, in a meeting on Sunday, directed officials to ramp up production of cow dung paint and explore the possibility of using it in all government buildings to make stray cattle centres self-sustainable. The cow dung being produced in shelters is already being used for making different goods in several districts.

Chairing a departmental review meeting on Tuesday, Singh also instructed that straw management in all cow shelters be completed by May 25, to avoid fodder shortages throughout the year. Weekly inspections of cow shelters by veterinary officers have been made mandatory to check arrangements and rectify deficiencies.

He emphasised that not a single cow should go hungry or thirsty in any shelter, and adequate arrangements for straw, green fodder, bran, water, electricity, and medicines must be ensured. Better-performing cow shelters will be recognised and rewarded. CCTV installation plans for all shelters will be expedited for improved monitoring.

The minister also laid stress on ensuring the quality of medicines and vaccines provided to animals, stating that successful dairy development, breed improvement, and artificial insemination depend on good animal health and nutrition.

Officials were told to make cattle fairs at division and district levels more meaningful and to incentivise progressive farmers and livestock rearers.

To boost natural farming, Singh urged promotion of cow-based agriculture and said that caretakers should be posted at cow shelters and timely payment ensured. These caretakers must stay overnight at the shelters and carry out their responsibilities efficiently, the minister said.

As per the review, 12.5 lakh stray cattle are currently housed across 7,697 shelters in the state. So far, 1.15 lakh cattle have been handed over to 1.11 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme. Of the total 40,968 hectares of encroached pastureland reclaimed, green fodder cultivation is underway on over 12,168 hectares. Over 21,880 cow caretakers have been trained and deployed.