According to the latest government data, the ongoing floods in Assam have caused severe damage to the state’s livestock sector with a total of 88,240 cattle affected in various districts. According to the latest bulletin of the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), the death toll in the state has risen to 68 and livestock, the mainstay of the rural economy, has been severely affected.
According to the data, the affected livestock includes 45,895 large animals, 26,335 small animals and 16,010 poultry. Looking at the district-wise data, Golaghat district has the highest number of livestock affected with 24,7 followed by Jorhat with 23,163, Nagaon with 19,738, Sibsagar with 10,279, Charideo with 9,764 and Dibrugarh district with 373.
A total of 9,973 cattle deaths were recorded in the state due to floods and all these deaths were registered in Charideo district alone. Livestock deaths in Charideo included 2,042 large animals, 2,225 small animals and 5,706 poultry, making the district the worst-hit in terms of animal deaths. This loss has brought a huge crisis to farming families who depend on cattle, goats, chickens and other domestic animals for their income and daily livelihood.
Animal husbandry and animal medicine department is conducting relief activities in flood affected areas. It has implemented programs such as providing fodder for livestock, providing veterinary services and monitoring disease outbreaks.