Glanders scare: Nihangs to get horses diagnosed

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, February 18

Following the scare of glanders disease among horses, the state Veterinary Department officials have started taking blood samples of all horses with Nihang deras. Today, samples of more than 300 horses were taken by different teams of veterinarians in the state.

Yesterday, in a meeting held between district administration officials and Nihang dera chiefs, the latter refused to participate without their horses at the Hola Mohalla festival to be held from February 25 to March 2 at Kiratpur Sahib and Anandpur Sahib. The Nihang dera chiefs, however, agreed to get their horses diagnosed against the diseases before these reach Anandpur Sahib.

Nearly 500 horses from Nihang deras of Baba Budha Dal, Baba Bidhi Chand, Harian Velan and Tarna Dal arrive at Anandpur Sahib every year during the festival.

Last week, the district administration had requested the Nihangs not to bring their horses at Hola Mohalla due to glanders scare. Delhi has already witnessed over 40 such cases till last month following which the state Directorate of Animal Husbandry had directed all Deputy Commissioners to keep a strict check on the movement of horses and also avoid equine fairs so that the disease did not spread. Keeping in view these directions, the participation of horses was banned during the Kila Raipur rural games held earlier this month.

All the Nihang dera chiefs had authorised Baba Balvir Singh, the head of Dera Baba Budha Dal, to take a final decision on the issue. Yesterday, in a meeting held at Anandpur Sahib, the district adminstration officials were told by Baba Balvir Singh that the horses of all deras had already left for Anandpur Sahib and they were ready to get all the horses undergo medical diagnosis before reaching there. He promised that any horse found suffering from the disease would not be brought to Anandpur Sahib.

Samples collected  

Sources said the samples of more than 300 horses had already been collected at Chamkaur Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur and Kapurthala, and the process would be over by tomorrow. The reports of the tests were likely to be available before February 25, officials said.