Ranchi, June 14: Incessant rain today foiled plans by the district administration to begin removing cowsheds from the Ranchi Municipal Corporation area.

The drive has been postponed to June 15. This is the second time that the administration has tried to clear the town of ungainly cowsheds. Jharkhand High Court had passed an order to this effect in 1996.

“We had earlier removed the cowsheds in 1998. But they reappeared again last year. We tried to settle the issue amicably but could not do so. A number of fresh public interest litigations (PILs) in Jharkhand High Court followed. Seeing no way out, we decided to embark on the eviction drive,” an official of the district collectorate said.

The cowshed owners had been set a deadline of June 13 to remove the structures. “When they did not comply, we decided to take action. We will remove all cowsheds from Ranchi Municipal area as early as possible to ensure implementation of the high court order,” the official added.

Cowshed owners are a worried lot. They allege that the government has made no moves to rehabilitate them though the high court had ordered it to.

“District administration has not provided us land outside the municipal area where we can relocate though there is a high court direction to that effect. It is unfair that the cowsheds should be removed,” milkman Ram Nagina Yadav said.

Sanjay Singh, a cowshed owner in Doranda said: “This will affect consumers as well. If we are displaced, they will have problems in getting milk.”

The administration should ensure that the cowsheds stay clean instead of uprooting them altogether, Singh said. “The remedy is worse than the disease. The administration should do a rethink,” he added.

Residents were divided on the issue. “The cowsheds should be removed from the municipal area. Unhygienic sheds spread many diseases in our locality. They are also responsible for the rise in mosquitoes in our area,” said Sanjy Oraon, a resident of Kokar. Rajeev Ranjan, a resident of Hinoo, however, said: “Removal of cowsheds will result in a monopoly in the milk market. Consumers will be hit. District administration should not take the step without making arrangements for milk.”