Another mare dies in Commonwealth Games trench

Second filly dies at DDA sports complex in Saket in two months where renovation work for games is on

Second filly dies at DDA sports complex in Saket in two months where renovation work for games is on

For the last few days Delhiites have been up in arms against the whole city turning into a pit of misery owing to the ongoing projects for the impending Commonwealth Games and of course the onset of monsoons. But few people know that an innocent animal had to pay with her life, as these factors combined to impede her way to the hospital on July 13.

IN THE MARE'S NEST: Shahnaz's corpse was cleared after more than
20 hours by MCD officials from the DDA sports complex in Saket, where
the race filly died on Tuesday evening. Pic/miid day

Shahnaz, a 9-year-old thoroughbred at the Saket Sports Complex in south Delhi died late Tuesday evening of a colic disease. According to the race mare's owner Surender Sahlot, the fantastic animal was not well for the last few weeks and was undergoing treatment but on Tuesday when her condition deteriorated they could not get a carriage or ambulance inside the complex to take Shahnaz to the hospital.

"For the last three months renovation work is on inside the complex. Earlier they had dug deep trenches all along the approaches to the stable but now huge mounds of soil have been turned into mud by rains during the last few days," Sahlot told MiD DAY.

Sahlot also lost a German filly Jasmine Star in May under similar circumstances. The Olympian mare had peptic ulcer and lay writhing in pain the whole night before dying early morning on May 13.

"Her body kept lying at the stable for more than 20 hours before the Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials came to pick it up on Wednesday for burial," Shahnaz's caretaker Ram Lakhan said. "As soon as she fell unconscious we called up the police control room for help. A PCR van came but the cops washed their hands off, saying the matter concerns the sports complex. They in turn called up the MCD, which took more than 20 hours to act," he alleged.

Sahlot said Shahnaz was a thoroughbred and worth more than Rs 10 lakh. He claimed that he had asked the Secretary of the DDA sports complex to improve the situation in and around the stable as it was causing huge problems for the animals.

"These are very sophisticated animals. There are regular power cuts, water tanks have been destroyed during the renovation work for the Games and the training grounds have been all dug up," Sahlot claimed.

The stable lies in the extreme left corner of the sports complex. Earlier the stretch leading towards Masjid Road was dug up but now it has been filled huge mounds of soil which still obstruct the way to the stable. Those residing in stable used to manage with a temporary access, created out of a broken iron fence. The passage leads to Masjid Road, the main entry to the sports complex. What's also of concern is that the sports complex doesn't have an in-house doctor to take care of the animals residing there.

The stable lies at the far corner of the complex, which also has a cricket ground, swimming pools, tennis courts and a yoga ground.
Vikram Malhotra, a veterinary doctor with the Race Course Hospital, said Shahnaz was anaemic and was suffering from Horse Colic.
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"If the horse evinces abdominal pain, he is likely to be put down as suffering with colic, no matter whether the difficulty be a cramp of the bowel, an internal hernia, overloading of the stomach, or a painful disease of the

The Other Side

DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts by MiD DAY.

bladder or liver," he explained.

"The general symptoms of abdominal pain, and therefore of colic, are restlessness, lying down, looking around toward the flank, kicking with the hind feet upward and forward toward the belly, jerky switching of the tail, stretching as though to urinate, frequent change of position, and groaning," Dr Malhotra added.