Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Pauri Garhwal district administration to give it a list all such festivals where animals are sacrificed and also to identify individuals who perform the ritual killings.

The instruction of the High Court came while hearing a PIL, filed by an NGO People For Animals and some other religious organisations, seeking a ban on animal sacrifices, claiming that festivals celebrated in the state have no such ritual necessity, District Magistrate Dilip Jawalkar told PTI.

The district administration is gathering the data and listing such festivals, he said, adding that the authorities are trying to prevent such sacrifices.

Activists are demanding a ban on animal killings during the Bunkhal festival, to be organised on December 11 at Kalika temple in the district. It is expected that many goats and male buffaloes would be sacrificed on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the district magistrate has allotted Rs 15 lakh for Bunkhal festival to give it a facelift.