The cow from Gadhasisa village of Mandvi taluka had, in the course of at least three years, swallowed 4,000 polythene bags, a coil of metal wire, coconut shells, a screw, a piece of saree and a napkin.

The operation was performed at the Ahimsa Dham Hospital for animals and birds, the only one of its kind in the State, at Pragprar village of Mundra taluka.

``After successfully performing the four-hour long operation, we weighed the waste and found that the polythene bags alone weighed 45 kg,'' Dr Harishchandra Jadeja, one of those who operated on the bovine, told Express Newsline on Tuesday.

``The third day after the operation was performed, the cow, which had to be administered over 70 stitches, is recovering without any complications,'' Jadeja, who heads the Bhuj chapter of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Board, said.

He pointed out that the operation, when performed on Sunday afternoon, was so complicated that they had to use a carpenter's hacksaw to cut the entangled wire as even medical equipment failed to do the job.

The incident has sparked off a move by the Bhuj chapter of SPCA to join hands with the Lion's Club of Bhuj to launch an extensive campaign against use of polythene bags. ``In fact our club has already prepared a 10-minute video film to create public awareness against the use of plastic bags in the State's biggest district. It is a must here as the bovine population exceeds that of humans,'' said Lion's Club president Bharat Mehta, adding that the campaign would initially be funded by his A D Family Trust. They would also urge the State Government to follow the example of Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra in banning polythene bags, he said.

Jadeja has also urged Union Minister Maneka Gandhi to persuade the State Government in imposing an immediate ban on plastic bags. Jadeja says the Minister has already sanctioned Rs 3.5 lakh from the Social Justice and Empowerment Department for animal welfare in the border district, besides promising Rs 25 lakh for setting up a modern veterinary hospital cum animal shelter in the district.