ITANAGAR, Aug 28: The All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) has urged the state government to immediately deploy adequate veterinary doctors, para-veterinary personnel and field teams, besides ensuring the availability of essential medicines and vaccines, to contain the reported outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the state.
In a representation submitted to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister, ANSU president Ashok Doka expressed serious concern over the outbreak, claiming that the disease reported from various parts of the state had resulted in the deaths of hundreds of mithuns across several districts.
The union described the situation as “extremely serious”, stating that the outbreak posed a grave threat to the mithun population and to rural and indigenous communities whose livelihoods, cultural practices and traditions are closely associated with mithun rearing.
It stressed the need for immediate, coordinated and effective intervention to contain the spread of the disease and prevent further livestock mortality and economic losses to owners.
Highlighting the urgency, ANSU sought the deployment of adequate veterinary doctors, para-veterinary staff and field teams to affected areas as well as locations considered vulnerable to the spread of FMD.
It also called for the immediate availability and distribution of essential medicines, vaccines and other veterinary supplies required for prevention and treatment.
The students’ body urged the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department to treat the matter with “utmost urgency” and take immediate steps to contain the outbreak and prevent further deaths of mithuns.
The union said such measures were essential not only to protect livestock but also to safeguard the livelihoods and interests of communities dependent on mithun rearing.
The representation also underlined the close relationship between mithun rearing and the social, cultural and economic lives of indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh, noting that continued mortality could have consequences extending beyond livestock losses.
ANSU, therefore, called for coordinated government intervention, adequate manpower and timely veterinary supplies to bring the situation under control and prevent the disease from spreading further.