Pune: In Pune, the careless use of plastic bags is endangering the health of cows, buffaloes, and bulls, especially strays. These animals often ingest plastic hidden in food scraps discarded at garbage sites or roadside bins, leading to serious digestive problems. Many of them require surgery to survive after plastic accumulates in their stomachs, creating blockages and causing extreme discomfort.
Veterinary estimates indicate that about 250 to 300 surgeries are performed every year in Pune to extract plastic from animals’ stomachs. Food mixed with plastic is commonly consumed by stray cattle, resulting in swelling, lack of appetite, and other painful symptoms as the plastic disrupts their complex digestive systems.
Operations to remove the trapped plastic typically reveal between 500 grams to 2 kilograms of material. Veterinary treatment, often costing between ₹2,000 and ₹5,000, is essential to save these animals. Beyond this personal suffering, declining health also reduces milk output and fertility rates, creating a knock-on effect on the entire dairy industry.
The issue persists despite a legal ban on single-use plastic bags. Though prohibited by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, plastic bags remain widely available and often end up in garbage piles accessible to animals. While some urban animals are protected by enclosed spaces, rural and suburban animals face higher risks of plastic ingestion as they scavenge for food.
Veterinary professionals have noted that ruminants store food in their stomachs for long periods before digestion. Plastic cannot break down in their bodies, blocking vital nutrients and leading to nutritional deficiencies. Farmers who have witnessed this issue first-hand report that some of their animals have required surgery after consuming significant amounts of plastic. Many dairy owners now keep animals indoors and rely on carefully managed feed to avoid further health crises.
Despite ongoing surgical interventions and legal prohibitions, plastic pollution continues to jeopardize the well-being of both stray and farm animals across India.
