Lush green, landscaped parks and gardens, dazzling lights and more - the Trinamul-led Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) promises to give Howrah a whole new makeover. But the same civic body has done little to get rid of the numerous cowsheds that are a cause of pollution, mosquitoes and stench. Pilkhana in Ward 16, Jeliapara Lane in Ward 15, parts of Ward 13 and Tinkarinath Bose Road and Bibirbagan Lane in Ward 10 are some of the areas overrun with cowsheds.

A few cowsheds were removed from Pilkhana last year but many more continue to thrive. "We carried out a drive in my ward before the monsoon last year to remove cowsheds from GT Road, Rosemary Lane and Kapoor Gali in and around the Pilkhana area with help from the civic body and local police station. Waste from these khatals was clogging drains and increasing mosquitoes in the area," said Mohammad Rustam, the councillor of Ward 16.

The number of cowsheds pulled down is negligible compared to those that continue to exist. "Earlier there were some 300 cattle in the sheds in my ward, now the number has gone down but they remain a nuisance. Drains are clogged from the dung washed out from these sheds. I have written to the HMC on several occasions, asking them to remove cowsheds from residential areas. But nothing has been done," said Githa Rai, the councillor of Ward 13.

One of the reasons why cowsheds continue to prosper in urban areas is the demand for fresh milk. Pahari Yadav, a cowshed owner in Rai's ward, has been occupying a fairly large area in a narrow bylane off Salkia School Road for over five decades. His is among the half dozen cowsheds that line this lane. Pahari owns 14 cows and seven calves and claims that every morning there is a queue in front of his cow shed for milk. "I have more than 70 regular customers. I milk the cows and immediately distribute fresh milk to them. If I have to move the cowshed somewhere far from the town, I will lose all my customers," Pahari said.

But residents are not happy living next to cowsheds. Pradeep Tiwari, a resident of Rosemary Lane in Ward 13, is severely distressed by a cowshed next to his house. "It has been there for many years. The owner's son looks after it and piles the dung inside. Besides the intolerable stench, the area is infested with flies and mosquitoes. We have protested and written to the HMC, but no action has been taken. After a light shower, dung and other waste from the cowsheds are washed on to the road, so you can well imagine what happens during the monsoon," Tiwari said.

Tinkarinath Bose Lane and Bibirbagan in Ward 10 are hubs of cowsheds. More than 10 sheds with over 100 cows occupy a huge Eastern Railway plot in Tinkarinath Bose Lane. The owners, natives of Bihar, have been doing brisk business for three generations. Local sweet shops buy fresh milk from here.

The plot is covered with mounds of dung that is washed away into the open drains every time it rains. A layer of dry dung, tough as concrete, clogs the drain. "I sell the milk to 40 homes around Salkia and also to sweet shops," said Potla, an owner. Residents of Bibirbagan are wary of protesting since many of the cowshed owners enjoy strong political support.

Shyamal Mitra, mayoral council member, said eviction is underway. "We have removed cowsheds from Ward 16 in north Howrah and a few other places. We plan to evict more," he said.