JAMMU: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting to review measures being taken up for controlling the spread of lumpy skin disease in Jammu and Kashmir.
Secretary APD; Special Secretary APD; Director Finance APD; Director Animal Husbandry, representatives of SKUAST Jammu and Kashmir, Joint Director ARV R S PURA; Joint Director IAH and BP Zakura, Srinagar; Chief Animal Husbandry Officers of all districts and other concerned officials attended the meeting in person and through video conferencing.
During the meeting, a PowerPoint presentation was presented highlighting the district-wise status of lumpy skin disease besides detailing controlling measures like vaccination, use of medicines, procurement of vaccines, and sampling collection for testing.
The CAHO of both divisions gave a detailed report about all measures being taken up under the guidance of experts, scientists, and the task force.
It was informed that with the help of local PRIs and others various awareness camps on Lumpy Skin Disease are also being organized.
The meeting received feedback, inputs, and recommendations from the Task Force teams, experts, and scientists alike in order to contain the spread of the disease. The experts and scientists informed that 48 new epicentres have been added in the Jammu division during this week.
ACS asked the officers to keep control on the movement of animals besides ensuring maximum vaccination to the migrating animals so that the further spread of this disease is prevented. He stressed that fogging is the most important part of the vaccination drive while asking for the engaging maximum field staff to ensure proper fogging in the rural area as well as far-flung areas.
Dulloo also stressed strict adherence to proper protocols of treatment as per the recommendations by the government of India. He directed the officers for ensuring visits of expert teams from SKUAST Jammu to Udhampur, Reasi, and Poonch to check the current situation in the wake of this disease.
He said that a team from SKUAST Kashmir would also be visiting Kupwara to assess the situation. He called upon the concerned officers to implement all the guidelines of the Government of India in letter and spirit to contain the disease.
ACS also enquired about the availability of medicines while directing both Directors to ensure the availability of required medicines in all the affected areas so that the spread can be tackled timely and effectively. He directed the CAHOs to ensure vaccination of animals reaches 2000 to 3000 per day in every district.
He directed the concerned to launch an awareness campaign and door-to-door inspections besides visits by field staff to make farmers aware of the Lumpy Skin Disease.
Earlier, it was informed that till date 38083 animals have been affected with Lumpy Skin Disease, of which, 28619 have recovered, so far. It was also informed that 213250 doses have been administered to the cattle across J&K.
