Kutch: Just as the Corona pandemic left the human race terrified, the outbreak of a disease by the name of the lumpy virus in cattle is causing the deaths of cows and other bovine animals in villages of various districts including Kutch. Despite the outbreak being rather deadly, except for the limited number of veterinarians no team of specialist doctors has yet been pressed into service.

The most important thing is the fear expressed by people running the organizations for cattle welfare that if the outbreak is not brought under control as many as 50,000 quadrupeds are expected to succumb to the disease. Cattle herders claim that as many as 20,000 animals have already lost their life due to the outbreak in the last 15 days.

According to the details, this is a contagious disease and if one catches it, it ends up infecting the animal tied beside it. And if not treated timely, it causes death.

The Animal Husbandry department of the government too has been alerted and it has been asked to send specialist doctors to Kutch from outside immediately. Those working in the area of cattle welfare have already approached the government in this matter but the government is yet to sit up and take notice. The government has been found napping just as with the case of ensuring an adequate supply of medical oxygen during the second wave of the Coronavirus.

Akhil Kutch Gaushala-Panjrapole Yuva Sangh President said, “We are tired of making representation at the local level and have come to Gandhinagar today. The chief minister and minister for animal husbandry have been informed in writing. The death toll is continuously rising. The stray animals do not receive medical treatment and when the ulcers burst in the body burst after 2-3 days, and the animals die. There are over 18 lakh cattle in Kutch and the number of veterinarians is limited. Even those who own a cow or two have been affected, which are dying because of lack of treatment.”

This was confirmed by Kanu Bawaji, who runs the Ratatalav Panjrapol said, “We have seen 800 cows getting affected by the lumpy virus. As many as 160 have already died. There is hardly any village where deaths of 15-25 cows have not been reported.”

When the cows die, they are buried in pits dug with the help of machines to stem the spread of the virus.

The apathy of the state government can be gauged from the fact that the post of animal husbandry superintendent is vacant for the past 1.5 years. Assistant Superintendent Haresh Thakkar is discharging duties as interim superintendent. On contacting him, Thakkar said, “Currently, the outbreak is predominantly in urban areas and about 700 deaths of cattle have been reported.”

When asked about the number of doctors in Kutch, Thakkar informed, “There are 14 doctors and 10 supervisors. Against this, there are 10 lakh milch cattle and 10 lakh goats and sheep. Looking at the situation, we have informed the animal husbandry department to deploy doctors from other districts to Kutch.”

However, common people are coming forward during these difficult times to provide much-needed succour to the affected cattle. Members of the Nani Khakhar Gauseva Samiti are mixing jaggery, sugar, fennel seeds and an Ayurvedic powder with the water that is consumed by these bovine creatures. The Hindu Yuva Sangathan members of Nani Khakhar are ensuring that the dead animals get a respectful burial.

While the cattle are succumbing to the lumpy virus, their dead bodies lying in the open outside villages of Kutch are polluting the air. The disposal of the corpses of these animals is a big issue. There have been reports of corpses of dead animals lying scattered all over the Bhujpur-Karaghogha road and in the bed of the river Kevdi near Mundra, with stray dogs and vultures eating them. The skins of the animals perishing because of the lumpy virus have rashes and ulcers, owing to which they cannot be skinned before burial. The rains falling on these corpses cause decaying.

Executive Chairman of taluka panchayat of Mundra has made arrangements with the help of Jindal Company to bury the dead animals by digging pits using JCBs after covering them with common salt. The lumpy virus is a highly contagious disease and the death toll is rising with each passing day. It has become a worrisome situation for cattle herders.

DeshGujarat