Vets deployed to check health of sacrificial animals

Livestock department officials asked to keep eye on sellers of sick animals on roads, streets

RAWALPINDI:

The local administrations have deployed veterinarians to monitor the health and safety of livestock in the two cattle markets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as the Eidul Azha is fast approaching.

A large number of citizens have started showing up at Rawalpindi’s Bhata Ground cattle market and in Islamabad's Sector I-15 cattle market, where the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals have gained momentum.

Sources said that teams have been deployed in both the markets to check the health of animals amidst the threat of the Congo virus and the spread of lumpy skin disease in the cattle.

The teams of the livestock department have been given the task of thoroughly examining animals by visiting the cattle markets at I-15 and Bhata Ground and banning the sale of sick animals.

The contract of the cattle market in Sector I-15 has been awarded for Rs 51.5 million and the entry fee of Rs2,640 for large animals and Rs1,500 has been fixed for small animals.

On the other hand, the contract of the Bhata Ground cattle has been awarded by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board for Rs80 million with an entry fee of Rs3,000 for large animals and Rs2,000 for small animals.

Meanwhile, the prices of animals brought for sale in both the cattle markets have increased exponentially. The minimum price of a healthy bull starts from Rs200,000 while the minimum price of a goat starts from Rs50,000.

So far, a large number of sacrificial animals have been sold in these cattle markets for the past one week, and traders from across the country continue to bring more animals to Sector I-15 and Bhata Ground markets.

Because of the threat of the Congo virus and the lumpy skin disease, the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner has issued orders to the livestock department for medical check-ups of all sacrificial animals before they were allowed to enter city markets.

The livestock department has also been directed to keep an eye on the sellers of sacrificial animals who roam around in different areas of Rawalpindi instead of taking their animals to the dedicated market.

The Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi, the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards have already banned the sale of sacrificial animals on stalls or streets ahead of Eidul Azha.

Earlier, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq said that no lean, sick and weak animals should be allowed to be sold and teams of the livestock department should keep a close watch.

The livestock department has also approved the deployment of special teams at the entrance and exit points of the city. A spokesman for the livestock department has asked buyers to carry out special checks before purchasing sacrificial animals. Animals with the ticks attached to the skin should not be purchased, they pose a risk of spreading the Congo virus, he said.

The district administration has announced that the sacrificial animals’ market at Bhata Chowk will remain open till July 12. On the other hand, animal sellers, who bring sacrificial animals to the market, said that the entry fee of Rs3,000 for large animals and Rs2,000 for small animals will lead to a further surge in the rates of animals.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2022.