Surat: As Valsad recovers from the hammering it received from the monsoon, residents of Borlai village in Umargam taluka are grappling with a different threat. Carcasses of 60 buffaloes that drowned in the floods lay unattended for days, causing a a stench and a looming public health crisis.Residents of Borlai village raised concerns after the 60 carcasses remained on a farm for five daysAfter warnings of strict legal action, the farm owner and local authorities began the process of burying the carcasses on Wednesday.Villagers said the stench worsened with each day, affecting the village’s 3,200 residents and making life difficult.Residents said they repeatedly demanded proper disposal of the carcasses and sanitisation of the surrounding area to prevent disease, but no action was taken until decomposition advanced.“After the villagers informed me, I told the concerned officers and the farm owner Dr V K Das, who lives in Silvassa. But no actions were taken,” said Subhas Dhodi, sarpanch of Borlai village.Villagers said that despite repeated efforts by officials to coordinate the clean-up, adequate cooperation from the farm owner was not forthcoming.Veterinary officials told residents that teams had visited the site several times. However, villagers said the carcasses were not buried despite directives issued by authorities.Locals argued that public health standards should be enforced uniformly and delays in disposing of animal carcasses posed unnecessary risks to villagers.“There was waterlogging in the farm and decomposition was advancing. After the warning of strict actions, the process to bury the cattle was done on Wednesday,” Dhodi said.Borlai is 1km from Darotho creek and nearly 5km from the Par river.The village was among the worst-affected areas by the flooding between July 21 and 25. Officials said Umargam got more than 1,200mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period during the extreme weather event.Floodwaters submerged Borlai village, with water levels reportedly crossing eight feet in some locations.Residents said the floods killed large numbers of cattle across the district as livestock owners fled in search of safety.
