By NewsGram Staff Writer

The Divisional Commissioner of Agra, Pradip Bhatnagar, in an initiative to protect cows and to promote organic farming, has decided to declare Mathura a 'Goshala Kshetra' (cow- shelter region). He told Press Trust of India (PTI) that this is an effort to encourage farmers to make optimum use of the cow dung and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers for farming.

Bhatnagar told the news agency, "We will shortly have training workshops to educate farmers on how to switch over to organic farming. Mathura district has thousands of cows and tonnes of precious resource as gobar (cow dung) is not being put to advantageous use."

"At a later stage we can ban use of chemical ffertilizers in the district. In Agra, we have already banned burning of cow dung cakes," he said, while adding, "Mathura would be first such district in Uttar Pradesh to be recognized as 'cow protected zone.'"

Andra Vamsi, Chief Development Officer of Mathura said, "Plans are being worked out to promote goshalas to run on scientific lines as cows have importance in our agrarian economy and among people of Mathura and Vrindavan."

He added, "Cow economics has been a favorite subject of discussion in the Braj area of Sri Krishna-Radha."

"We have around 32,000 cows right now. The daily output of cow dung is 150 tonnes. We have a gobar plant to produce gas and electricity. Soon we will be selling gobar slurry to farmers to promote organic farming", said Braj Sharan, in-charge of the Goshala at Barsana.