Pashmina goats yet to be rescued

Even three days after an SOS, the J-K Government is yet to reach the vast area...

Even three days after an SOS, the J-K Government is yet to reach the vast area on Sino-Indian border where nomads, along with lakhs of pashmina goats, are stuck due to snow. The entire livestock is facing death due to scarcity of fodder and cold.

Officials at Leh, who are monitoring the situation, say they have dispatched some truckloads of fodder to the few affected areas which are motorable. “But the vast area, where the livestock are stuck, are yet to receive any fodder,” Leh Chief Executive Councillor Chering Dorjay told The Indian Express. “We heavily rely on air-dropping of fodder in far-flung areas, but the inclement weather in the region is hampering the rescue operation. Even as Army agreed to airdrop fodder for the livestock on Wednesday, not a single sortie was possible on Thursday due to bad weather.”

Dorjay said weather forecast for the next two days was not favourable and air-dropping of fodder could not start for the next two days.

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The Air Force has decided to use MI-17 helicopters to airdrop fodder near the international border. The authorities in Leh had, in fact, finalised the places where the fodder was to be air-dropped. On Tuesday, the authorities had sought Army’s help in reaching out to the livestock stuck in the pastures.

“The situation is worsening as there are reports of casualties to the stuck livestock. We are trying to send as much help as we can by road,” he said.

“While the breeding of the goats has been hit, the young ones have been dying of the cold.” Dorjay said the situation in Tegazone where around 60,000 heads of cattle were stuck was worse.

As reported, around two lakh livestock including a huge population of pashmina goats — that yield the famous pashmina shawl known for its elegance and finesse all over the world — have been stuck near India-China border in far-flung Nyoma and Dorbok blocks for the past many days after heavy snowfall lashed the area.