LAHORE: For the sale of sacrificial animals, the Punjab district administration has set up 13 cattle markets and sales points in nine zones of the provincial capital which were operational from Saturday while it has prohibited the trading of these animals outside these markets.
One permanent cattle market has been set up at Shahpur Kanjran while 12 temporary markets were established at Pine Avenue Road, Shanu Baba (near Raiwind Road), Sundar Road (opposite Nisar Haveli), NFC Society (near Bahria Town), Raiwind Road (near Manga Mandi), Sagian Road, Lakho Dahar (near Lahore Ring Road), LDA City (near Kahna Kacha Road), Gajumata (near Lahore Ring Road Office), N Block of DHA Phase 9 and Sabzi Mandi (near Nishtar Colony). The administration will take strict action against illegal cattle markets.
Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Usman held a meeting to review the arrangements in the cattle markets. The meeting was told that an official of every department concerned was deputed in these cattle markets to ensure the availability of facilities needed by both the buyers and sellers. Moreover, keeping in view that the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSP) surfaced recently in large animals and the prevailing Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever, the administration has set up livestock camps at the entry and exit points of all the cattle markets. These camps will be active 24 hours a day, which will vaccinate animals.
The relevant department will deploy teams of veterinary doctors and staff, and make special arrangements for the prevention of these diseases besides providing routine veterinary facilities and medical cover to the animals in cattle markets and sale points. Moreover, to minimise the spread of these diseases, the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Departments issued guidelines for the administration. In a memo to all administrations of Punjab, the department observed that LSD has emerged recently and Congo fever is already prevalent in the country. “These diseases pose a serious threat to the livelihood, food security and public health. The risk of spread of LSD and Congo fever increases manifolds during Eid-ul-Azha due to movement of sacrificial animals across the country”, he added.
To mitigate the risk of spread and threat of these diseases, the department urged the administration to ensure that no animal was loaded in trucks without a vaccination certificate of LSD, proper spray in the truck before loading and no suspected/diseased animal was transported during Eid-ul-Azha.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022