With 2,309 cattle dead and over 55,000 afflicted, Himachal government asks Centre to declare Lumpy Skin Disease epidemic

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 8

With a sudden spurt in the cases of lumpy skin disease among cattle in nine districts,Himachal Government on Thursday urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to declare Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) as an epidemic.

Even though it was on August 10, earlier this year that the State Animal Husbandry had declared LSD as a Scheduled Disease under Chapter II, Section 6 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animal Act 2009, Sudesh Mokta, Director cum Special Secretary Revenue, wrote to the Centre with a request to declare the disease as an epidemic, considering the surge in cases.

“The disease has witnessed a spurt in the last few days as 2,309 cattle have died and 55,926 have been infected till now,” he wrote to the Joint Secretary, Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He added that the disease has cast a shadow on the livestock in the State and as such it needs to be declared as an epidemic.

Mokta said that it is only after the disease is declared an epidemic that the disaster, relief and rehabilitation component of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) can be provided to the aggrieved farmers. “It is requested that the matter for declaring LSD as an epidemic may be considered for calamity purposes along with additional. Even though nine districts in the State have been affected, the worst hit include Sirmaur, Shimla and Solan. The two tribal districts of Kinnur and Lahaul Spiti and Kullu have so far remained LSD free with no casualty or infection.

Kangra is the worst afflicted by the disease and has witnessed 566 deaths and 18,625 cattle getting infected. The second worst hit district is Una, where 556 cattle have died and 8,585 have been infected. Solan district has had 336 deaths and 7,491 infections. Officials of the Animal Husbandry department claimed that over 1.40 lakh vaccines have been inoculated so far to curb the spread of the disease.

Himachal Kisan Sabha had demanded declaring LSD as an epidemic as large number of farmers in the state are dependent on dairy farming for earning their livelihood. The HKS lamented that despite the government announcing compensation for farmers, people were finding it exceedingly difficult to get it.

Another major demand put forth by the dairy farmers is that loans taken for purchase of cattle must be waived off.

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