Pig carcasses floating in lake Loktak scare ASF-hit Manipur

Imphal: At a time when the state government has taken up strenuous measures to combat the growing cases of the highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF), a large number of pig carcasses have been found floating in Loktak, triggering panic among the fishermen and villagers living along its banks.
There have also been reports of dead pigs floating in some rivers in the valley districts which fall into Loktak, the biggest freshwater lake in the northeast.
“We have seen more than 30 carcasses of pigs floating in Loktak, mostly on its eastern side, over the past few days,” Oinam Rajen, secretary of All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union Manipur (ALLAFUM) on Friday, said.
“Besides the stench emanating from the highly decomposed dead pigs brought down by the rivers into the lake, many fishermen are reluctant to move near the floating areas on the eastern side of the lake,” Rajen said, adding that there might be more such carcasses in other parts of the lake.
On behalf of the Union, Rajen demanded the government, particularly the VAH department and the law enforcing agencies to look into the matter and take necessary measures to ensure no dead pigs are thrown into the rivers.
According to the Manipur veterinary and animal husbandry department, ASF has been detected at pig farms in Imphal West, Imphal East, Ukhrul, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching and Kamjong districts.
The latest ASF outbreak has been reported at five new pig farms in Imphal West district’s Lilong Chajing Mamang Leikai, Konthoujam Maning Leikai, Loitang Khunou, Luker and Sairemkhul.
According to the notifications issued by the respective district administrations, the particular pig farms from which ASF have been detected as the disease’s epicentres, and areas within one km radius of them should be marked as infected zone and areas within 10m km radius from the same as surveillance zone, while the whole areas have been categorized as controlled areas.