Dying economy: Viral disease taking its toll on cattle in Thar

Officials, Thari people deny transportation of affected animals to Karachi, Hyderabad for human consumption.

KARACHI:

Hundreds of cattle – mostly sheep and goats – have died of a viral disease in Tharparkar district which is already reeling from a terrible drought. Livestock is the mainstay of the desert economy where 80% of the population rear cattle for their livelihood.

Residents and officials believe the dearth of fodder has weakened the immune system of animals, rendering them very prone to the deadly viral disease, locally known as ‘Mata’.

“The immune system [of animals] in Tharparkar was already affected by a little rainfall this monsoon,” Sindh Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Jam Khan Shoro told The Express Tribune. “And the recent cold wave aggravated the situation, making the animals more vulnerable.”

Shoro said that persisting drought conditions in the desert have badly affected small animals. He added that his department was taking all possible measures to bring the situation under control. “We’ll overcome this [crisis],” he said.

A section of the media reported that the affected animals were being transported to big cities, including Karachi and Hyderabad, for human consumption. Officials, however, denied these reports. “Taluka officials have already been directed to keep an eye on the possible transportation of sick animals,” said the provincial livestock secretary, Zafar Iqbal.

Zafar Iqbal – who visited Tharparkar district on Sunday – confirmed that ‘a few hundred’ animals have died of the disease. “We are working on both prevention and cure at the same time,” he added.

Thari villagers said that ‘Mata’ kills the animal within a few days. “They [animals] cannot survive for a week after contracting the disease,” a villager Allah Warayo Nohrio told The Express Tribune by phone.

“It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to transport the affected animals to Karachi or Hyderabad. They will die on the way,” added another villager, Mubarak. “Most of the villagers are selling their cattle at a throwaway price for fear of the deadly disease. This has caused the prices to collapse,” he added.

A local journalist, who visited some villages near Mithi city, said that ‘thousands’ of small animals have died. “The affected animals are in their thousands,” said the journalist, Khatao Jani.

The disease broke out in the first week of January but the issue was highlighted when the number of affected animals multiplied quickly in the second week of February.

Thari villagers said they have been treating the sick animals with antibiotics. However, they blamed the livestock department for not taking serious steps to prevent the situation from aggravating.

“All mobile vans of southern districts of Sindh have been moved to Tharparkar. We know the importance of livestock for the Thari people,” Shoro said, denying the allegations of slackness on the part of his department.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2014.