DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand government has banned the sale of pork in the state after the death of 192 pigs from ‘Swine Fever’.
Uttarakhand animal husbandry department has also imposed a ban on the transportation of pigs across the state.
Saurabh Bahuguna, minister for animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries told The New Indian, “The move is to ensure that no more damage to the farmers. We will also give compensation to our farmers.”
The development comes after 192 pigs died due to the ailment in the Pauri and Dehradun districts of the hill state.
Swine fever cases in pigs have been confirmed in the samples sent to the Indian veterinary research institute, Bareilly and the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, Bhopal.
Out of the total population of 500 pigs in Dehradun, 104 have died due to this fever whereas in Pauri 90 out of 111 died.
Officials from the animal husbandry department told The New Indian that swine fever is an airborne disease but it poses no threat to human beings and other animals except pigs.
As a precautionary measure, the government has made a one km radius of origin areas an infective zone and a 10 kms radius area as a surveillance zone.
The transmission of this disease is limited to pigs only and that will not affect other animals either.
“Once reports from the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, Bhopal are received, culling process will be adopted,” said Dr PVR Purushottam, secretary, animal husbandry department.