Rajasthan introduces bill to save camels

The Rajasthan government on Wednesday introduced a bill in the assembly to provide for prohibition of slaughter of camels and regulate temporary migration or export thereof from the state.

The Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Bill, 2015 is aimed at checking the dwindling population of camels.

The government in July 2014 had declared camel as the state animal.

"Camel is an integral part of the desert ecosystem of the state and has played a very important role in the survival of human population in adverse desert conditions. Presently, camel is endangered and in need for initiation of sincere efforts for its conservation and protection, due to an alarming steep population decline observed in the recent past," the bill said.

The bill said several cases of killing of camels have come to light. It said a large number of camels are transported out of Rajasthan to other states for slaughter.

"The existing laws are not sufficient to tackle this problem," the bill said.

Agriculture being the mainstay of the state's economy, camel as a working animal is also the backbone of the state's agricultural and village economic structure.

With growing awareness for non-conventional energy sources like bio gas, the dung of these animals has acquired additional importance as fuel for the rural population, it said.