“Appalled” by the poor hygienic conditions and health of the milch animals at nine dairy colonies in the national capital, the Delhi high court has directed authorities to take immediate remedial actions and file action-taken reports within three months.

In an order on July 12, a bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Sanjeev Narula took note of a report given by the court commissioner Gauri Puri, highlighting the dismal conditions in which the animals are kept.

“We have perused the report and are appalled by the observations contained and the pictures annexed therewith, which depict poor hygienic conditions and the health of the milch animals… In light of the egregious violation, respondents shall take appropriate action on the basis of the report submitted by court commissioner, ensure that the dairies are compliant with the extant laws and file an action-taken report within three months of the date of this order,” the bench said.

The court was hearing a plea by three petitioners — Sunayana Sibal, Asher Jessudoss and Akshita Kukreja, alumni of the Ahimsa Fellowship — who alleged that these dairy colonies are wrought with violations of central and state-level statutes.

On March 23, court-appointed advocate Puri, along with the petitioners, inspected the nine dairies in presence of the parties, including the officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a detailed report was filed.

On July 12, while taking in account the report by the court commissioner, the bench noted that solid waste consisting of empty plastic bottles, wet waste from cattle, medicine bottles and used syringes was overflowing in and around the dairy colonies.

The court also noted that the milk containers and cattle-feed were kept uncovered, exposed to flies and waste around it, adding that “most dairy units are extremely hot and humid, with no functional ventilation facilities”.

“The calves were malnourished, ill and separated from their mothers. Short ropes were tied tightly around their necks, severely restricting the movement of the animals; the dairy units were overcrowded and in some instances the cows were tied outside the dairy colonies on the roads”.

“The extraction of milk twice a day, which was done using injections of an unidentified transparent liquid, in the presence of a stuffed head of a dead calf, and the court commissioner notes that this was the only life that the animals were subjected to,” the court said in its order, while noting the court commissioner’s report.

It said that the observations made in the report reveal violations of various laws including the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, guidelines for Environmental Management of Dairy Farms and Gaushalas published by the Central Pollution Control Board in July, 2021, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 and Cattle Premises Registration Rules, 1978.

The court asked the court commissioner to carry out a fresh joint inspection after three months and submit a fresh report within four weeks thereafter, while also requesting her to verify the contents of the action-taken reports filed by the respondents and record her findings in her report.

The matter will now be heard on November 1.

In their plea, the petitioners have alleged violations including gruesome animal cruelty such as tethering with extremely short ropes, intense overcrowding, animals made to lie on their own excreta, unattended and festering injuries and diseases, starving of male calves, mutilation of animals, etc.

The petition also pointed towards heaps of rotting carcasses and excreta at several spots in the colonies and carcasses of calves dumped on public streets, leading to fly infestation, and mosquito breeding.

The non-therapeutic administration of antibiotics and the administration of injections of a spurious drug suspected to be Oxytocin were also highlighted. Oxytocin is a hormone used to induce labour pain in women and causes painful contractions in the buffaloes to increase milk letdown.

The petitioners stated that maimed, mutilated, and injured animals can be seen in unfathomable numbers. The gross environmental pollution and grave public nuisance due to poor waste disposal practices and endangerment of public health as a result of flouting several food safety norms were also highlighted.

“None of the infrastructure mandated by law was complied with and the animals were denied the bare minimum. The real cost of milk excludes heavy externalities – the cost of attending to the basic needs of or providing medical attention to these animals. The real cost of milk does not include the costs to public health caused by unsafe milk, the costs of the environment by gross pollution created by non-compliance of laws at these dairy colonies,” the plea said.