Thiruvananthapuram: With the beginning of summer vacation, unauthorised horse-riding has become rampant at tourist spots, including Veli and Shangumugham.
Horses and ponies are ill-treated and made to stand under the scorching sun all day at Shangumugham, violating all animal rights. They are not given breaks even during noon hours.
The ponies are not properly fed or taken care of and are exploited for joyrides without rest. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) – the body supposed to implement the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 – remains inactive.
As per rules, every district should have an SPCA committee to deal with animal rights violation. In the state capital, the SPCA has been defunct for almost a decade now.
District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) secretary O.T. Prakash said that a notice had been served to the violator. “We are not encouraging joy rides at Shangumugham and we have given a written complaint to the police in this regard. We found that ponies are ill-treated and exploited. We will take it up seriously,” said Prakash.
Leela Latheef, secretary of PFA (People for Animal) – a voluntary organisation working for the welfare of animals – said that animal rights were being violated blatantly.
“About a year back, a horse died at Shangumugham because of ill-treatment. We have been raising this issue for the past many years. They make them walk long distances and there were instances when the pony collapsed,” said Leela Latheef.
K. Mohan, additional director of animal husbandry department, said that steps to form SPCA committee had been put on hold owing to a dispute between the district panchayat and the administration.
“There was a suggestion to make the district panchayat president the chairman of SPCA committee. Earlier, it was the district collector. The issue is yet to be settled,” he said.
