Assam has banned transportation of pigs from outside the state and ordered confinement of all domestically-reared pigs to their current locations in six Upper Assam districts in view of “unusual” death of pigs, The Telegraph has reported..
The largescale death of pigs has hit hard the poor families in rural Assam, especially from the Mising community.
“All domestically-reared pigs will not be relocated on any pretext. Transportation of pigs from outside the state and the transportation of live pigs or pig meat/products outside the state is prohibited with immediate effect,” an order said.
As against the Assam government’s Saturday claim of 1,900 deaths, in a recent ground-level survey they found that 2,000 pigs died in three villages said Johan Doley, an executive member of the Mising Autonomous Council.
The veterinary department is worried whether the large number of deaths has been triggered by African swine fever which has affected countries like China and Laos but not India yet.
Samples from Assam had reached National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, on Sunday and it will take two days to get results.
Pig deaths in Assam were mainly triggered by classical swine fever, which, according to the World Organisation of Animal Health, does not affect humans.
Bhandari sub-division of Nagaland’s Wokha district has banned the import of pigs.
“In view of swine fever disease reported from the state of Assam especially in the neighbouring districts of Jorhat and Sivasagar, and the declaration by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Government of Nagaland as endemic in the State, import of pigs from outside Bhandari remains totally banned until further notice,” an official notification stated.