Vishwanath Daatkhile who lost 41 cows to the flood last year was strusk by drough this year
The Daatkhile family can barely look at the cattle shed where 41 cows were sheltered. They were swept away by the flood last year The shed where 41 cows were sheltered on the Daatkhile family’s farm in Bhum in Dharashiv The Daatkhiles who have started all over again with their cows in Bhum in Dharashiv Vishwanath Daatkhile who lost 41 cows to the flood last year was strusk by drough this year The Daatkhile family can barely look at the cattle shed where 41 cows were sheltered. They were swept away by the flood last year The shed where 41 cows were sheltered on the Daatkhile family’s farm in Bhum in Dharashiv The Daatkhiles who have started all over again with their cows in Bhum in Dharashiv Vishwanath Daatkhile who lost 41 cows to the flood last year was strusk by drough this year Pimpalgaon (Bhum, Dharashiv): The walls of Vishwanath Daatkhile’s (56) house in Pimpalgaon village in Bhum tehsil of Dharashiv district bear the marks of the devastating flood Banganga river caused on Sept 22 last year. Bent steel pipes, broken tin sheets and bricks are scattered where 41 cattle, 27 lactating cows and 14 calves, were once sheltered. A year later, he said he received Rs 2.25 lakh for six cows, three registered in his name and three in his brother, Gowardhan’s . He said his father had started with a single cow and gradually built the herd to 41 animals. A good-quality lactating cow costs more than Rs 1 lakh. The production will not even be 50%,” he said. After completing his D Pharm in 2022, he planned to set up a medical store in Bhum town, the tehsil headquarters. His brother’s 10 goats serve a similar purpose.
Because of inadequate rainfall, praveen said the family’s two-acre urad crop is lost. A fresh govt resolution providing for full compensation to farmers in Dharashiv and Solapur who lost cattle has been issued. Dharashiv collector Keerthi Pujar said, “We will prepare a fresh proposal as per the new GR released by govt for the flood-affected districts. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
Otherwise, we will never come out of these losses,” Vishwanath said. But it is tough,” Praveen said. We do not have that money,” Praveen said. I don’t feel like putting up a new shed in the same place,” he said.
The damaged cattle shed outside his home is an even more painful reminder. The river rose quickly and swept away the animals that Daatkhile had reared over two decades. But the family has not received full compensation for the rest. Despite follow-ups with the district administration, additional assistance has not come. “My son Praveen pursued it for a few months but gave up. We cannot wait forever. The family will get the help soon. He added that he would look into why the family did not receive the assistance despite the revised provisions. “My parents and uncle do not show their pain and financial stress to us. They are determined and confident that they will earn it back. He works at a medical store run by a relative in Pune. “It was two decades of hard work. Now, it is difficult to buy big cows. But the cattle shed has not been built. Vishwanath has not been able to bring himself to reconstruct it. “I did not feel like raising it again. The panicked mooing of the cows as they were swept away before me that night haunts me. “We cultivated green chillies using borewell water. But rising temperatures and lack of rainfall have resulted in disease infestation. For Praveen, the flood also destroyed a personal dream. He identified a location and purchased furniture too. The floodwaters damaged and swept away some of it. He is now trying to save enough money to restart his plan. For Vishwanath, the seven cows now represent the beginning of another long rebuilding process. His two dogs, which survived the flood from the gushing waters, remain with him. As Vishwanath talks about the night of the disaster, he pulls the dogs close and gently strokes their backs. “They are now happily living with us. Download the TOI App.
Before the flood, the Daatkhile family produced around 200 litres of milk every day. They have rebuilt part of the herd, but milk production is 40-50 litres a day.
With some Rs 5 lakh from public donations, Vishwanath has bought seven cows over the past year. His brother, who lost 20 goats in the flood, has purchased 10 goats. The family recovered when people responded after reports of their losses appeared in the media. “More than govt, people helped us. They donated clothes, grain and cans of water. A group of schoolchildren from a neighbouring village who brought us a special kit at night, despite the rain,” Vishwanath recalled. “Rearing cows is my passion. I cannot live without them. We are coming back to normalcy,” he added.
The flood also destroyed a part of the family’s grape plantation. The family expected to rebuild its agricultural income after the flood, but the current year has brought another challenge, a prolonged gap in rainfall.