20 cattle stranded in Palar river for 4 days, monitored and fed by NDRF and TNFRS personnel

The cattle belong to the residents of Pazhamathur village near Pukkathurai in Chengalpattu. On Wednesday, villagers sent their cattle for grazing, but the bovines got stuck on the sandspit, which got flooded after the lakes in the surrounding areas were opened due to the rains that lashed northern Tamil Nadu over the week.

The cattle owners later approached the District Administration and the Fire and Rescue Services to save their animals from being washed away. However, the efforts of the fire personnel went in vain even after they tried reaching the spit on rubber boats on Saturday, due to the excess flow in the river. On Sunday morning, members from the NDRF in Arakkonam reached the village and proceeded towards the rescue, but had to abandon the operation since the water current was extremely strong. “If the cattle jump out of the boat while being ferried, it may become difficult to rescue them again,” an officer said.

For now, the NDRF personnel have carried feed and water tanks for the cattle so that they don’t approach the river to quench their thirst. Till the flow in the river normalises, the cattle will be fed and monitored at the sandspit itself and the cattle owners have also agreed to the arrangements, the official added. Pattalam police are also monitoring the situation.