Jammu, Oct 14: A central team on Wednesday visited Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD)-affected areas of Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts to assess the livestock health situation and review measures being undertaken to contain the disease, an official spokesman said.
Dr Sudam Bagh, Deputy Commissioner (Livestock Health), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Union Ministry of Fisheries, inspected several LSD-affected villages and assessed the ground situation including the challenges faced by livestock farmers, he said.
Bagh was accompanied by Dr Sandeep Pandita, Technical Assistant, M S Institute of Animal Health and Biological Production, R S Pura, Jammu.
As part of the outreach initiative, mineral mixture, wound-dressing materials and disinfectants were distributed among livestock farmers, the spokesman said.
The team also held interactions with officials from the Animal Husbandry Department of Jammu and Kashmir and participated in awareness and sensitisation programmes to educate farmers about disease prevention, biosecurity measures, hygiene and appropriate livestock management practices.
As part of the disease surveillance and diagnostic exercise, teams from Deputy Director, Research and Production (DDR&P), led by Dr Abhimanyu Chauhan, Lab Officer collected samples from LSD-affected cattle in Samba and Kathua districts.
Similarly, a team from the District Investigation Office (DIO), Jammu, led by Dr Ravinder Singh Thakur, Lab Officer, collected samples from affected cattle in Jammu district, the spokesman said.
He said these sample-collection activities were undertaken to facilitate laboratory investigation and support the assessment of the disease situation.
Livestock Development Officer, R S Pura, Dr Muddassir Nazar also accompanied the visiting officer during the field tour of Jammu district.
Later, the spokesman said a meeting with officers of Jammu district was convened at the Directorate of Animal Husbandry, providing an opportunity to review the prevailing LSD situation, discuss field-level interventions and emphasise the importance of coordinated efforts, effective disease surveillance, and sustained farmer awareness to strengthen disease-control measures.
The visit underscored the importance of close coordination between the Centre and the Animal Husbandry Department of Jammu and Kashmir in addressing the LSD outbreak and safeguarding livestock health and the livelihoods of livestock farmers, he said.
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