CM Majhi: 19 livestock camps operational amid Odisha floods
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Even as floodwaters grip large parts of Odisha, rescue teams are working around the clock to pull cattle and other animals to safety — and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi confirmed on Thursday, 30 July 2026 that 19 dedicated livestock shelter camps are now fully operational to protect the state's animal wealth.
Posting in Odia, CM Majhi wrote: 'ପ୍ରତିକୂଳ ବନ୍ୟା ପରିସ୍ଥିତିରେ ଉଦ୍ଧାରକାରୀ ଦଳର ନିରନ୍ତର ପ୍ରଚେଷ୍ଟା ବଳରେ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ସମ୍ପଦ ଉଦ୍ଧାର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଜାରି ରହିଛି' — 'Amid adverse flood conditions, livestock rescue operations continue through the relentless efforts of rescue teams.' The camps are tasked with providing food, clean drinking water, and emergency veterinary care to cattle and other animals displaced by the flooding.
Why livestock rescue matters in a flood
For farming families in Odisha, cattle are not just animals — they are working capital, collateral, and livelihood rolled into one. Losing a draught animal to a flood can set a household back by years. Odisha sits in the path of some of India's most punishing monsoon systems, with rivers like the Mahanadi swelling annually and inundating low-lying agricultural districts across the state's interior and coastal belt.
State administrations have long built disaster response frameworks that go beyond human evacuation — animal rescue and temporary shelter are a recognised part of the flood-relief playbook. The activation of 19 specialised livestock camps this season signals that the scale of the current flooding is significant enough to warrant a coordinated, multi-district response.
Rescue teams on the ground
CM Majhi's post underscores that operations are continuous — not a one-time airlift but a sustained effort in challenging, waterlogged terrain. Rescue personnel are navigating adverse conditions to reach stranded animals, ferry them to safety, and then ensure they receive basic care at the camps. The three-pronged support — feed, clean water, veterinary services — is designed to keep animals alive and healthy until floodwaters recede and owners can reclaim them.
The welfare of livestock directly protects the economic footing of flood-affected farmers, many of whom depend on animal husbandry as a primary or supplementary income source. A cow or buffalo that survives the flood is a family's bridge back to normalcy.
With water levels still a live concern, the number of camps and the geographic spread of rescue operations will be the critical indicators to watch in the days ahead.