DoLS team sent to quake-hit districts

KATHMANDU: The government has mobilised a team from the Department of Livestock Services (DoLS) under the Ministry of Agricultural Development, in the quake-affected villages to provide proper treatment to injured animals, carry out disinfestations of sheds and set up temporary sheds.

Government has released Rs 25 million to help save domesticated animals affected by temblor

The team has been mobilised at a time when a large number of livestock and domesticated birds have suffered injuries in the massive earthquake of April 25 and subsequent powerful aftershocks, and there are high chances of an epidemic spreading from the animals buried under the rubble.

The team, so far, has initiated treatment on 22,000 livestock, informed Vijay Chandra Jha, programme director at the Directorate of Animal Health under DoLS. The Directorate of Animal Health is the implementing agency of this programme.

The team has been working under the coordination of the District Disaster Relief Committee in the 14 affected districts, namely Gorkha, Kavrepalanchowk, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga, Makawanpur, Sindhuli, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

The government has released Rs 25 million for this purpose, which also includes the component of animal feed distribution. Animal feed worth Rs 2.2 million will be distributed among people whose livestock have been the most affected.

MoAD expects the programme to help save domesticated animals through proper treatment and building of sheds before the onset of the rainy season.

As per MoAD, the devastating temblor and frequent powerful aftershocks have claimed 498,608 domesticated birds (including poultry); 16,947 big cattle (buffaloes, oxen and cows, among others) and 39,778 small cattle (goats, pigs and sheep).

The total loss in animal farming industry is projected to hover around Rs 1.46 billion.