JAIPUR: The government of Rajasthan has raised the alert level in light of the growing number of cattle animals that are succumbing to the lumpy skin illness. The officers have been instructed to work in a mission mode to prevent the sickness.

According to officials, the disease has killed nearly 4,000 cows in the state and affected thousands more. Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria said that division-level offices in Ajmer, Bikaner, and Jodhpur have distributed funding of Rs 8–12 lakh for the purchase of urgently needed treatment. For other impacted districts, a sum ranging from Rs 2 to 8 lakh has been distributed. The drugs that were available in the pharmacies in other districts have been disbursed to the afflicted districts due to the emergency situation. If the brand name drug is not readily available, permission has been granted to purchase necessary medications under that name.

The minister announced that teams from neighbouring districts and the state had been dispatched to the more severely damaged areas. 29 veterinarians and 93 livestock assistants have been sent from other districts to the impacted districts. The approval of 30 more vehicles has been given in order to effectively monitor and treat sick animals. Nodal officers sent from the directorate are visiting and regularly keeping an eye on the affected areas. If necessary, more staff will be sent from other districts. For ongoing surveillance of the disease spreading among cattle, control rooms have been established in the afflicted districts as well as at the Jaipur Headquarters.

Secretary P.C. Kishan said that due to increased infection, thorough monitoring is being done in the districts of Barmer, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sirohi. He gave directions to entirely manage the lumpy skin condition in 15 days. Surveillance is also being carried out in neighbouring Gujarati districts Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur, and Rajsamand. He said that teams from the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi had taken samples from sick animals in the districts of Jodhpur and Nagaur.

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