Gujarat: Lumpy skin disease outbreak in over 20 districts

The government said the disease has spread in 2,083 villages in 20 districts and about 55,950 animals have been infected by the disease

The cattle death toll due to lumpy skin disease (LSD) has reached 1,565 in Gujarat, the state government said on Monday.

Symptoms in infected animals include fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, among others. (File image)

The government said the disease has spread in 2,083 villages in 20 districts and about 55,950 animals have been infected by the disease that spreads in cattle through blood-feeding insects.

However, some have alleged that the death toll could be much higher.

According to leader of Gujarat Congress’ farmers’ wing, Pala Ambalia, “The death toll in Mundra and Mandvi taluka that are the worst hit, could be about 20,000 to 25,000. The situation is very grave. One can see heaps of dead bodies of cows and buffaloes piling up every day.”

He said the outbreak in Gujarat first came to light in the month of May when there were few deaths reported in Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Kutch districts.

Ambalia said he had written to the district authorities in Devbhoomi Dwarka back then after which the situation became better.

Symptoms in infected animals include fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation from the mouth, soft blister-like nodules all over the body, reduced milk production, and difficulty in eating, which lead to the animal’s death.

Ambalia claimed that the government was trying to downplay the casualty figures to hide their incompetence.

A senior state government official said the government was giving out the death figures based on the data provided by district authorities and there were no loopholes.

Naran Gadhvi, a resident of Mundra in Kutch who runs an organisation called Gau Gopal Samiti that carries out awareness programmes for cattle, said there were only 14 veterinary doctors among 969 villages in Kutch.

“In Pragpar, there are 1,200 deaths, in Bhujpur 800 cows and buffaloes have died, in Bidada there are about a thousand deaths due to LSD while in Talvana, 800 deaths were reported. These are some of the villages of Kutch and there are many more. As per our estimates, at least 30,000 cows have died in Kutch due to LSD,” said Gadhvi.

He said he had warned the authorities about the outbreak of LSD and the steps to be taken to prevent its spread.

“But they did not pay heed till now because of which the situation got worse,” Gadhvi said.