Nagpur: A cow and a calf were killed after a tree uprooted by strong winds brought down an old boundary wall onto a cattle shed in Sadar’s Gawalipura area on Monday afternoon, once again drawing attention to the continued operation of cattle sheds in densely populated residential localities.The incident occurred around 3pm when the uprooted tree crashed onto the ageing boundary wall of a local akhada (wrestling arena). A section of the wall collapsed onto a makeshift cattle shed adjoining the premises, trapping four bovines under the debris, an official said.A cow and a calf belonging to local cattle owner Hemant Phulsunge died on the spot, while another cow and calf were rescued by residents and emergency responders. No human injuries were reported, officials added.Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department reached the spot within minutes and carried out rescue operations to extricate the trapped animals.Preliminary estimates placed the cattle owner’s loss at around Rs50,000.The mishap has reignited a long-standing dispute over the presence of cattle sheds in Gawalipura, a congested residential and commercial locality. Residents and shopkeepers alleged that repeated complaints against what they described as unauthorised cattle sheds went unaddressed despite concerns over safety, sanitation and encroachments.Locals said the incident could have had far more serious consequences had the wall collapsed a few feet away, where residents, pedestrians and customers regularly pass through the narrow lanes.“We have been opposing these cattle sheds for years. Authorities only wake up after such incidents,” said a resident.Following the mishap, teams of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation cleared the debris, while the carcasses of the dead animals were transported to Bhandewadi for disposal.
