Galloping vehicles cripple Bengaluru’s ponies

A horse which is used in traditional North Indian weddings is tied to a date tree outside the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru in May 2019. Animal activists described the existence of these

A working pony hauls a load of pipes along Residency Road in Bengaluru. Several pony cart owners said that they would give up their ponies if the government offered them a subsidy to buy a small van.

Hundreds of working equines continue to operate on the city’s busy roads in spite of increased traffic congestion which has seen the number of vehicles grow from 29.27 lakh in 2007 to 80.4 lakh in March 2019.

According to statistics released by the Transport Department, the number of motor vehicles in Bengaluru has grown at an average rate of 10% annually since 2007, with the city expected to have nearly 1.08 crore vehicles (or 10 million vehicles) by the year 2022. In comparison, the numbers of working equines stand at about 300, according to census figures by an NGO and members of the equine-owning community that DH spoke to.

What this is leading to, according to Rajani Badami of CUPA, is increased conflict between urban equines and vehicles on the roads, which have taken a high toll on ponies drawing carts. At CUPA’s Large Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Kengeri, which houses 15 former working ponies, nearly all equines are partly crippled due to road accidents.

Among the scarred animals was a bay-colored pony with deep wounds which Rajani said were the result of being hit by a tempo traveller carrying iron rods near the Konanakunte Flyover.

While BBMP officials said that they did not have figures for the number of equine-vehicle accidents in the city, Dr Shashikumar S, deputy director of the BBMP’s Department of Animal Husbandry, said the Palike had no real mandate to tackle the issue because they do not have the authority to ban working equines.

“We ensure equines injured in road accidents are given treatment at government veterinary clinics and at NGO facilities,” he said, adding that the issue of working equines would be broached at the next Palike general meeting.

For Sandesh Raju, founder of the equine-care NGO, Samabhava, this idea of a ban is as counterproductive as plying animal-drawn carts on roads packed with motor vehicles.

“Banning these animals in the city will not solve the problem. The animals will instead be sold to operators in tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Channapatna, Kolar and Hassan, where conditions are harsher. The government should set up a large rehabilitation facility,” he said. Alim Pasha, 36, of Bannerghatta Road, who gave up his pony several years ago to become a rickshaw driver, said most pony owners take exemplary care of their animals because they are their livelihood, but admitted that times are changing.

“A few years ago, we could support a family of eight from the earnings we received operating a pony cart. Today, pony owners make only about Rs 500 per day, half of which goes towards pony maintenance.”

Many pony owners in the market area told DH that they would happily give up their equines if the government gave them a subsidy to buy a small van which would allow them to continue as cargo transporters.