Hyderabad: Milk suppliers in Hyderabad, who comprise around one lakh families, expressed concern over the cascading effect of the Musi rejuvenation project. They are dependent on grasslands on the Musi riverbed for fodder for their cattle, which they fear will not be available after the Musi rejuvenation, leading to the rise in the prices of grass as well as milk.
Though they supported the government’s efforts to revive the river, milkmen from Yadava community said that the rise in milk prices could lead to adulteration.
“The Murrah and Kundi species of buffaloes and other local species have been giving high milk yield because of fodder produced in the Musi riverbed,” said V. Pandu Yadav, a leader of Greater Hyderabad Yadava Sangham.
He said the Musi riverbed meets 80 per cent of the fodder required for cattle in Hyderabad.
The riverbed is ideal for cultivation of fodder grass due to its nutrient-rich sediments and is famous for superfine and fast-growing varieties like Hercules tall wheat grass, Napier, Guinea, para and Blue Buffel grass.
The consistent moisture levels in the soil helps in the speedy growth of fodder crops, as grass species commonly used for cattle feed require a steady water supply for optimal growth. As the treated wastewater adds organic content to the soil, enhancing its fertility and boosts the growth of fodder grasses.
Stating the shortage of fodder following the beautification of Musi river would hit the traditional business of the Yadava community, he urged the government to allot at least 1,000 square yards land at subsidised rates on the city outskirts to each milkman family for shifting their cattle sheds. This, he said, would also fulfil the state government’s three-decade-old plan to shift all cattle sheds to the city outskirts.
Yadava Sangham president C. Nandu Kishore Yadav recalled the Telugu Desam government’s plan to shift the cattle sheds to city outskirts in the 1990s to fight mosquito menace and traffic issues. The plan did not take off after the TD lost the elections.
Nandu Kishore Yadav said the traffic police’s restrictions on taking out cattle to Musi river for their cleaning and grazing curtailed milk yield.
Observing that villages on the outskirts located downstream of the river partly fulfilled the fodder needs, Nandu Kishore Yadav urged the government to restrict the conversion of grasslands into real estate projects in Ghatkesar, Narapally, Chowdhari Gudem, Boduppal and Peerzadiguda. “Hyderabad already lost 500 acres of grasslands because of the HUDA layout in Uppal Bhagayat,” he said.
