C'garh: Two cows die, 290 cattle fall ill after grazing on

Two cows died and at least 290 cattle fell ill after consuming crop remnants at Bijagod village in Chhattigarh's Bemetara district, an official said on Wednesday.

Villagers had sent the cattle out to graze on Tuesday evening, when they ended up consuming crop residue, local veterinary officer D K Thakur said.

Later in the night, the condition of cattle started deteriorating, following which veterinarians were alerted, he said.

"While two cows died on Wednesday, 290 cattle have taken ill," he said, adding that a team of veterinarians have been deployed in the village to treat the affected cattle.

Prima facie, it seems like the cattle may have consumed crop remnants that contained pesticides, he said.

However, the exact cause of the death and illness will be ascertained after autopsy of the two dead cows, he added.