MARDAN
Lumpy skin has become an epidemic in Mardan, hundreds of cattle are infected in Mardan district with this disease butchers are allegedly buying affected animals and selling unhealthy meat to citizens while the district administration and livestock department official has closed their eyes on this serious issue.
It may be noted that lumpy skin disease is a viral infection of cattle which is rapidly spreading in Mardan district. Majority of the cattle in the district are affected by this viral infection.
The existing slaughterhouse in Mardan has been closed for several years, due to which most of the butchers are slaughtering the cattle in their houses.
It is the deputy and responsibility of livestock and Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) doctors to check the cattle’s before and after slaughtering.
It may be noted that a rupees of 10 lakh were mentioned in the tehsil Mardan budget in connection of slaughter house fee which will be collected from the butchers but the slaughter house isn’t functional so far and the butchers are slaughtering cattle in their house.
However sources in the TMA said that the TMA officials received the mentioned fees from the butchers but they did not check the cattle’s.
The people complain that most of the butchers are allegedly buying cattle on low prices infected by lumpy skin infection and slaughtering these cattle and allegedly selling meat on people in the market due to which there is a risk of spreading dangerous diseases among people.
The masses appealed to the Commissioner, deputy commissioner and officer of livestock department to take strict action in this connection and checked the cattle’s before and after slaughtering on day bases and also restored the slaughter house so that the butchers should slaughter the cattle in slaughter house instead of houses.
