Hundreds of cattle heads, poultry birds perished in Punjab floods: Minister

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (PTI) Over 500 heads of cattle have perished in the floods and 481 teams of the animal husbandry department are working in the flood-affected areas, Punjab minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said on Sunday.

Highlighting the devastating effects of the deluge, Animal Husbandry Minister Khuddian said 504 cattle heads, 73 sheep and goats and 160 pigs have perished across 14 districts -- Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Barnala, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Patiala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar and Moga.

Additionally, 18,304 poultry birds died in Gurdaspur, Rupnagar and Fazilka due to the collapse of poultry sheds.

He further informed that approximately 2.52 lakhs animals and 5,88,685 poultry birds were affected by the floods.

Underlining the key relief efforts being carried out by the department, Khuddian said 481 teams have been deployed to provide treatment and arrange medicines for the affected livestock. Till now, 22,534 animals have been provided treatment, he said.

Additionally, control rooms have been established both at the state headquarters and district level offices to coordinate relief efforts and respond to emergencies.

He urged the public to cooperate with relief efforts and report animal distress to the dedicated control rooms.

Khuddian further said the department distributed relief supplies, including over 12,170 quintals of feed and 5090.35 quintals of green fodder, dry fodder and silage, to support livestock in flood-affected districts, in collaboration with the district administration and social organisations.

Animal Husbandry Principal Secretary Rahul Bhandari said the department has already released a total of Rs 31.50 lakh for the treatment of animals affected by the floods.

He also directed officials to ensure prompt response to distress calls, provide timely medical care and supplies to affected animals, and coordinate with district administrations and social organisations for effective relief work.

Punjab is facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The floods were a result of swollen rivers the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi along with seasonal rivulets caused by heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. PTI CHS SKY SKY