Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formed a three-member Group of Ministers on Wednesday to effectively monitor and control the spread of lumpy skin disease among animals in the state. He also declared a ban on cattle fairs until the viral infection is under control, and that the borders of Punjab have been sealed to prevent animals from other states from entering.
According to Mann, the Group of Ministers (GoM) will include Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, and Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. Senior officers from the Animal Husbandry Department and experts from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University will assist the ministers.
The chief minister stated that the GoM will review the situation arising from lumpy skin disease (LSD) on a daily basis and take appropriate action to control it. According to him, the state government is obligated to protect the interests of cattle owners in the state.
When asked about compensating those whose animals died as a result of LSD, Mann stated that the government is currently focused on containing the disease's spread. "We will form a committee to compensate those whose livelihood was solely dependent on the animals that died," he added.
Mann, on the other hand, claims that recent trends show that the number of LSD cases in the state is on the decline. He also announced the start of a massive vaccination campaign to protect animals from LSD. He stated that the goat pox vaccine would be given to animals for free.
For vaccinating the animals, the best medicine recommended by the Centre was purchased. More vaccines will be airlifted if necessary, he added.
"Cattle wealth is an integral part of the state's economy, and the Punjab government will take every step to ensure that animals do not fall prey to this disease," Mann said, assuring cattle owners of his full support and cooperation.
He stated that Punjab's borders have been sealed to prevent animals from entering from other states. Fazilka, Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, and Tarn Taran have been the hardest hit by the disease, indicating that it was spread by animals from other states, he said, adding that the state's borders must be sealed to prevent the disease from spreading further.
Mann urged cattle owners to keep their animals clean and separate those who exhibit LSD symptoms. Organizing cattle fairs in the state will be prohibited until the disease is eradicated, he said.
He urged people not to believe rumours about LSD being transferred to humans via the milk of affected animals. He also advised people to drink milk after it had been boiled.
Mann stated that the Animal Husbandry Department has been asked to provide calcium doses to cattle owners in order to boost their animals' immunity. Deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure proper animal burial and to make the necessary arrangements.
A virus of the capripox genus causes LSD. Flies, mosquitoes, and ticks spread it quickly among cows and buffaloes. It causes soft blister-like nodules all over the body, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, salivation, decreased milk yield, and eating difficulty.
