hyderabad seeking firm steps to protect camels the telangana high court on thursday asked greater hyderabad municipal corporation ghmc to stop slaughter of the animal in the state the court said camel population was dwindling in rajasthan the state from where they are smuggled and brought to hyderabad a bench of chief justice raghvendra singh chauhan and justice b vijaysen reddy directed the ghmc authorities to keep a watch on the activities of violators notices were issued to the union public health department state animal husbandry department and police authorities along with ghmcthe judges asked the authorities to file counters by july 15 while hearing a pil filed by shashikala kopanati of earth quotient a group which works on issues relating to animal welfare and environment sharing the concerns of the petitioner the judges said rajasthan used to have a huge population of camels but their numbers are dwindling and camel in india has come to a state of extinction they saidshifting of camels barred by rajasthanthe petitioner said camels are not only brought into telangana unlawfully but also transported from rajasthan in inhuman conditions making them walk for hundreds of kilometres or bringing them here packed like sardines in cramped vehicles and slaughtering them is punishable under the prevention of cruelty to animals act of 1960 she contendedtaking camels out of rajasthan itself is an illegal act because the state expressly prohibits any such shifting a divya counsel for the petitioner said telanganas special counsel a sanjeev kumar said that they will take all steps to prevent cruelty to camels and sought time to file a counterdivya urged the court to protect the animal in view of the ensuing bakrid festival during which time the slaughter may be more the camel is the state animal of rajasthan though telangana has high power committees to prevent cruelty on animals they hardly do anything divya stated