Dear Dr. Harsh Vardhan ji,

<p text-align="justify">This is to bring to your notice the appalling state of dairies especially in urban and peri-urban areas.
These dairies are not only compromising animal health and welfare but also food safety and civic order. It appears that the principal purpose of these units is to earn quick profit at the cost of animal health and welfare, hygiene, food safety and the environment. Extremely cruel practices are being followed which among other things, are also depleting the productivity of the animals. As a result of the extremely exploitative practices, animals go dry much quicker.

These malpractices include:

1. High stocking density of dairy animals which results in lack of comfortable space for resting of animals.
2. Near complete tethering on extremely short tethers which leaves the animals with no avenue to express natural behavior.
3. Use of concrete floors causes lameness in the animals. This causes infertility problems thereby reducing the milk yield.
4. Indiscriminate use of oxytocin particularly in the case of buffaloes.
5. Lack of proper veterinary care. Veterinary care is provided only when the animal is sick. As vaccination and other prophylactic measures are not carried out in these dairies, endemic diseases like foot and mouth disease, haemorrhagic septicaemia, brucellosis, anthrax, black quarter etc. This is also one of the biggest impediments to the growth of the dairy sector.
6. Separation of the calf from the mother almost immediately on birth. This imposes tremendous psychological suffering upon the mothers, which affects their lactation.
7. Lack of proper system of disposal of waste and hygiene.
8. Milking of ill and sick animals.
9. Abandonment of “Unwanted animals” onto the streets.
10. Male calves are routinely starved and left to die or abandoned or sold to slaughterhouses.
    
    <p text-align="justify">The persistence of exploitative practices in these dairies is both an issue of enforcement of existing law as well as the absence of critical regulation for specific dairy practices that are both a compromise of animal welfare, cattle productivity as well as food safety.

    <p text-align="justify">In this regard, it may be favourable to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Registration of Cattle Premises Rules), 1978 to specify conditions of registration in order to curb the exploitative and cruel practices currently being followed.

    <p text-align="justify">I urge you to kindly consider the possibility of amending the Registration of Cattle Premises Rules in light of the miserable state of the dairy animals. Such an amendment will further the object of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and ensure better and cruelty free treatment of animals thereby ensuring that welfare of these animals is protected.

    Thanking you

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