Footrot disease kills sheep, goats in Himachal, Gaddi shepherds suffer big losses

The footrot disease is killing the sheep and goats of Gaddi shepherds in the state. The shepherds have reportedly lost about 20 per cent of the flock of their sheep to the disease and suffered heavy financial losses.

The disease has continuously hit the animals of the Gaddi shepherds in the past many years but no solution to the problem has been found. A proposal of scientists of CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur, to develop a vaccine for the disease has not been approved for the past four years.

Bhadar Singh, a shepherd of Jhanjharda Nachher village in Kangra district, said that this year, he had lost about 50 per cent of his sheep to the footrot disease. Veterinary doctors could not save the poor animals, he added.

Like Bhadar, many other shepherds have lost their sheep to the disease in different parts of the state. Prof Subhash Verma of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology in the Palampur agriculture university, is studying the eruption of the disease in Himachal. He said that the disease was caused by a cocktail of bacteria in sheep and goats. "The animals suffering from it lose their hoofs and are not able to walk. So, shepherds have no option but to sell such animals in distress or cull them," he added.

Earlier, this disease was prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir. However, it has now spread to Himachal and other parts of the country. There are also reports of the disease outbreak in Rajasthan and various southern states, he added.

Prof Verma said that at present, there was no standardised treatment of the disease. “We have sent a proposal for the development of a vaccine for the disease to the state government several times in the past four years. However, the Rs 70 lakh proposal is yet to be approved,” he added.

He said, “The Union Government has accepted a research proposal to identify the strains of the bacteria that are causing the disease. Scientists of the Palampur agriculture university, University of Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala will undertake the research on the disease but no funds have been received for the project.”

Akshay Jasrotia, president of the Ghumatu Pashu Sabha, said that the disease was causing extensive losses to the Gaddi shepherds in the state. The Congress government should take measures to help the Gaddi shepherds by providing antibiotics or a vaccine for the disease, he added.

Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Chander Kumar said that the officials of Animal Husbandry Department had not informed him about the outbreak of the disease. “I will discuss the matter with them and try to help shepherds, who are losing their sheep and goat to the footrot disease,” he added.

Secretary, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Rakesh Kanwar was not available for comments despite repeated calls to his mobile phone.

Agriculture Minister unaware of outbreak

• A Rs 70 lakh proposal of Palampur agriculture university scientists for the development of a vaccine for the disease has not yet been approved
• The Central Government has approved a project for the identification of the strains of bacteria causing the disease
• Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar not aware of the disease outbreak
• A shepherd of Jhanjharda Nachher village in Kangra district has lost about 50 per cent of his sheep to the footrot disease
• Earlier, the disease was prevalent in J&K