Punjab 18,000 cattle died due to lumpy last year

Pashu Sandesh, 16 January 2023

As per a report published in Indian Express, according to information procured under the Right to Information Act (RTI), between May and September 15, 2022, around 18,000 cattle died and about 1.74 lakh cattle got affected from lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Punjab. The RTI data was procured by a Hoshiarpur-based social activist Jai Gopal Dhiman.

According to information obtained from the Directorate of Animal Husbandry Department (Punjab), 17,575 cattle had died till September 15, 2022, while 1,74,052 cattle got infected by LSD in the state during the same period. The RTI data revealed that 1,252 cattle were being cured daily, while the total number of cured cattle was 1,13,925.

As per the information revealed in RTI, the number of cattle deaths in different districts of Punjab is as follows- 

Bathinda(2,345),   Moga(2,272),   Ludhiana(2,140),   Sangrur(1,938),   Muktsar(1,216),   Patiala(1,125),   Mansa(1,010),   Barnala(809),   Amritsar(629),   Rupnagar(486),   Jalandher(483),   Hoshiarpur(474),   Ferozpur(424),   Gurdaspur(380),   Taran Taran(371),   Faridkot(364),   Mohali(347),   Fatehgarh Sahib(189),   Kapurthala(181), Fazilka(163),   Pathankoot(147),   Nawanshahr(87).

To prevent the spread of LSD this year, Animal Husbandry Minister of Punjab Laljit Singh Bhullar had directed officials of the Animal Husbandry Department to start the vaccination drive from February 15, 2023, and vaccinate the entire 25 lakh cattle population in the state by April 30, 2023. A seven-member committee is formed by the government to decide the need to vaccinate buffaloes with the goat pox vaccine.