Scare of Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle in Darjeeling hills

Darjeeling demand for stop to illegal trafficking of domestic animals from Nepal 

EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 15, 2023 : Livestock farmers from different parts of Darjeeling district on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Darjeeling district administration, requesting for immediate action to stop illegal trafficking of domestic animals from Nepal. This appeal was made under the banner of Bijanbari Agricultural Producer Organisation Trust (BAPOT) which said the Lumpy Skin Disease(LSD) which was spreading in domestic animals in the hill region was owing to animals that were being smuggled from the neighboring country of Nepal.

BAPOT member Buddha Luxom said: "We are facing a very serious problem due to the spreading of the viral LSD disease. In the Bijanbari area more than100 animals have been affected and are undergoing treatment. There are reports of animals dying due to this in places like Mirik and Dudhia and its effect also seen in Sukhia and Kalimpong. Animals are our main source of income mainly in rural areas which do not have tea gardens. 

In Pul-Bijanbari area alone 99.9percent of people have animals like cows, goats and pigs in their houses. If something happens to them then we have no other means of earning," said Luxom, who owns around 70 to 80 goats.

According to Luxom there is no vaccine to cure itor any treatment for those animals who get the disease in which joint swelling is seen in the animals first and then lumps develop in their skins and they die ultimately. 

“If they get initial treatment then there are chances of the animal being saved but if you come to see in the entire 23 gram panchayats in Pul-Bijanbari area there are only livestock staff 15 to 20 Bijanbari Block.This is not enough to cover the entire area. 

They might not even have enough medicines or vehicles to go everywhere where LSD is affecting animals,” he said. Luxom asserted that the reason they were sure that the disease was coming from animals from Nepal was that such cases had been reported first in a district in Nepal.“

The Sethikhola and Srikhola routes in Darjeeling are closed hence the animals were brought from Nepal illegally from Manebhanjyang route due to which animals in places like Majua in Bijanbari have been affected the worst. 

Similarly, in places falling in the Nepal border like Pashpuati and Mirik such cases are being seen in animals,” Luxom said. “If this was a disease that had come from the plains in India then animals in Siliguri and Kurseong would have been affected,”Luxom said.

The BAPOT member said they did not want the LSD disease to spread in Sikkim. The smuggling of these animals from Nepal should be stopped by immediately sealing illegal routes. The BAPOT has submitted similar memorandums to the Singalila National Park DFO. The Veterinary District Inspector is planning to appeal to officials in the Indo-Nepal border areas.