The Phek district administration in Nagaland on Saturday ordered a blanket ban on import, slaughter and transit of buffaloes within Meluri sub-division in the district as a preventive measure indefinitely.
The Phek district administration issued the order following the assessment report of a joint verification team on the death of a large number of buffaloes in the sub-division due to a bacterial disease recently.
The team is led by Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) assistant manager Jonji Odyuo.
The other members of the team include Meluri veterinary assistant surgeon Dr Shipatu Thupitor, Lephori extra assistant commissioner C Tsalirnse Sangtam, Phek District Disaster Management Authority nodal officer David Thupitor and NSDMA consultant Kati Jamir.
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It conducted an on-the-spot assessment on the deaths of buffaloes in the villages of Kanjang, Reguri and Akhen village from October 7-9.
As per the assessment report of the team, 204 buffaloes – 112 from Reguri village, 82 from Kanjang village and 10 from Akhen village – were confirmed to have died due to the disease while several other buffaloes are still reported missing.
The total number of affected families stands at 106.
The medical reports suggest that the cause of death is Haemorrhagic Septicemia, a bacterial disease that mainly affects cattle and water buffaloes.
The joint verification team also had interactive sessions with members of each village to ascertain the on-ground grievances faced by the villagers.
The unexpected calamity has left the families of these villages in huge economic distress as they are highly dependent on the animals not only for consumption but also for agricultural purposes.