Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Friday, informed that after ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal has confirmed African swine fever in swine samples of Patiala district, following which the whole state of Punjab is declared as “Controlled Area”.
“Punjab is declared as “Controlled Area” with the object of preventing, controlling, eradicating scheduled disease – African Swine Fever (ASF), exercising the powers under sections 6 of Chapter III of ‘The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009’,” said the Minister adding that the notification has been issued is this regard and it has come into force with immediate effect.
The Minister said that villages Bilaspur and Sanauri Adda in Patiala district are hereby notified as ‘Epicenter’ of the disease, adhering to the section 20 of Chapter III of the same Act.
Bhullar further said that in compliance to Chapters 7 and 8 of ‘National Action Plan for Control, Containment and Eradication of African Swine Fever (June 2020)’ of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India; these areas are hereby declared “Infected Zone” (0-1 Km area around epicenter of disease) and “Surveillance Zone” (1-10 Km area around epicenter of disease).
“No live or dead pig (including feral or wild pigs), unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material or goods from the piggery farm or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person shall bring or attempt to bring into market any pig or pig products which is known to be infected with the scheduled disease,” said the Minister quoting notification, while adding that inter-state movement of any pig or its belongings should be strictly ban.