HT Correspondent
MORIGAON, June 4: The District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has officially declared Dapanibari village under Dharamtul Gaon Panchayat in the Mayang development block of Morigaon district as an epicenter of an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.
As per the directive issued on Tuesday, all villages within a 1-kilometre radius of Dapanibari will be classified as infected zones, while those within a 10-kilometre radius will fall under monitoring zones.
Transport of live pigs, pig feed, pork, or pork products into or out of the area is strictly prohibited. Goods or animal transport vehicles are barred from carrying animals into or out of the infected area. Pigs may only pass through the infected zone by road or rail with a sanitation certificate from the concerned veterinary authority, and must not be unloaded within the zone. No person is permitted to move infected or suspected pigs, alive or dead. Items like pig feed, pen materials, carcasses, skins, or other related objects cannot be moved or handled by anyone who has been in contact with infected animals. Organizing animal markets, fairs, or exhibitions involving pigs is strictly banned. If necessary, infected pigs may be culled by written instruction from the Chief Veterinary Officer to prevent the spread of the disease. Carcasses must be destroyed under strict guidelines. Disposing of carcasses or any animal parts into rivers, lakes, or other water bodies is a punishable offense under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Animals Act.
All restrictions applicable to the infected area will also apply to the monitoring area, except the culling order.
Continuous surveillance of domestic pigs in all villages within 10 km of the epicenter will be maintained. Pigs residing near forested areas will be monitored in coordination with the Forest Department. The directive emphasizes strict enforcement of these containment measures to prevent further transmission and urges cooperation from all local authorities, municipal bodies, and panchayats.
This notification comes into immediate effect and remains active until further notice.