The Punjab government has declared two colonies of district SBS Nagar and Fazilka as African swine fever (ASF) affected zones and notified these areas as 'infected zones' for the prevention of the ASF as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) -National High Security Animal Disease Institute, Bhopal has confirmed ASF in the samples from these areas.
Giving more details in this regard, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar today said that for the prevention of the disease in Colony Musapur Road of district SBS Nagar and Badal Colony of district Fazilka, restrictions under the provisions of "The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009" and the "National Action Plan for Control, Containment and Eradication of African Swine Fever (June 2020)" have been strictly imposed and are being ensured", said the Minister, adding that 0 to 1 kilometre area of the villages declared as epicenters would be considered as "infected zones" while 1 to 10 KM (9 KM) area is classified as "surveillance zones."
"No live/dead pig (including feral or wild pigs), unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material/goods from the piggery farms or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person shall bring or attempt to bring into the market any pig or pig products which is known to be infected with the scheduled disease" said the Minister.
COMPENSATION POLICY FOR CULLING SWINE
Reiterating state government's commitment to compensate for the culling of the swine, the Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said that compensation will be given only for the culling done by the department within the "infected zone" of one km radius of the epicenter notified by the department.
He said that as per the policy of the Government of India, the compensation for a culling of a piglet weighing up to 15 kg is Rs.2200, Rs.5800 for pig weighing between 15kg to 40 kg, Rs.8400 for weighing between 40kg to 70 kg pig, Rs.12000 for weighing between 70kg to 100 kg, while compensation of Rs.15000 will be given for pigs weighing above 100 kg.
Similarly, swine feed destroyed within the "infected zone" will also be compensated at the rate of Rs.22 per kg. He said that payment of compensation to be credited directly into the bank account of the concerned pig farmers.
The Cabinet Minister categorically said that ASF is non-zoonotic disease and does not infect human or other livestock species.