Swine carcasses floating in Loktak panics villagers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 27 2023: Amid efforts being made by the state government to fight soaring cases of the highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF), a large number of pig carcasses have been found floating in Loktak lake, triggering a panicky situation among the fishing community and villagers staying in the lake's peripheries.

Reports of pig carcasses floating in some rivers in the valley districts that flow into Loktak, the biggest freshwater lake in the northeast region have also surfaced of late creating panicky situation among the masses.

According to department of veterinary and animal husbandry, ASF has been detected at pig farms in Imphal West, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Kamjong districts.

The latest ASF outbreak has been reported at five pig farms in Lilong Chajing Mamang Leikai, Konthoujam Maning Leikai, Loitang Khunou, Luker and Sairemkhul, all under Imphal West district.

Speaking to reporters, All Loktak Lake Fishermen's Union Manipur (ALLAFUM) secretary Oinam Rajen informed that as many as 30 carcasses of pigs have been seen floating in Loktak mostly on its eastern side since the past few days.

This has triggered fear among the people mostly the fishing community.

Besides the disgusting smell emanating from the highly decomposed dead pigs brought down by the rivers into the lake, many fishermen are reluctant to move near to the floating areas mostly on the eastern side of the lake, Rajen said, adding that there might be more such carcasses floating on other parts of the lake.

Rajen also demanded the government, particularly the veterinary and animal husbandry department and the law enforcing agencies to look into the matter and take necessary measures to ensure no dead pigs are thrown into the rivers.

As per the notifications issued by the respective district administrations, movement of pigs (dead or alive) in the controlled areas, movement and sales of pork and feed within the infected zone and materials that could have contacted the infected or suspected to be infected animals, have been prohibited.

Culling of all pigs of the infected zone should be done by the officials of department concerned, the notifications said, adding that all equip-ment/tools and vehicles used in the farms that are having pigs, either infected or suspected to be infected, should be restricted from movement without protocols.

Meanwhile, VAH director Ibotombi Singh said that since the ASF has been confirmed in the laboratory reports, department officials and doctors are working round-the-clock to combat further spread of the epidemic.

"We have sent out four to seven teams of our department's doctors and staff in every district of the state to fight the spread of ASF.

Besides taking up culling of pigs at the infected zone, they also intensified surveillance activities at the surveillance zones," he added.

Awareness programmes have also beert taken up at other ASF-free districts, Ibotombi said, adding that a state-level awareness programme on it would be held soon.

The highly-contagious ASF often creates havoc in various northeastern states including Mizoram every year, where during 2021 and 2022, over 33,400 pigs were killed, affecting over 10,000 families besides causing a financial loss of Rs 61 crore.

According to experts, the outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh and the adjoining states of the northeast.

The northeast region's annual pork business is worth around Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 crore, with Assam being the largest supplier.

Pork is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by both the tribals and noil-tribals in the northeastern region.

(Courtesy: Waari Singbul Network & IANS) .

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