Effective policy implementation for protecting livestock against floods

Dr. Hemchandra Saikia

(saikia.hemchandra@rediffmail.com)

&

Dr. Hiranya Kr. Bhattacharyya

Generation after generation Assamese people are experiencing the horrific influence of devastating floods occurring every year with some variation in the extent of damage across different locations or districts, affecting several fronts of our socio-economic life, resulting in a considerable amount of impactful economic loss of money, property, houses of varied types and purposes, animals, birds, roads, transportation problems, food, shelter, security, etc. Although Assamese people have learnt to live with floods or copewith floods, it is very essential and critical to convert the menace of floods into opportunities of sustainable income or growth-yielding phenomena because the untapped potential of floods in Assam can bring about a very desirable and sustainable change to the very picture of the state’s economy in a great way. As every Assamese wishes for that of our government’s vision of making Assam into one of the top five or ten states of India, managing floods or addressing the problems of floods effectively, sustainably, and economically can give a due fillip in pushing our state economy into the group of the top five or ten developed states in our country. That is why the menace of floods in Assam essentially needs effective intervention without little negligence of any loss of economic resources.

If we consider the flood of Assam during 2024 till July 15, it is reported that the impact of this recent flood in terms of districts affected was 17 districts and 1342 villages were affected, more than 597600 people were affected, and the crop area damaged was reported as 25367.61 hectares. It is also reported that in the livestock sector, over 2,83,700 domestic animals and poultry are being affected across the state. The report also mentioned that 109 lives of people were lost due to floods, landslides, storms, and lightning. This is just a sample example of the impact of floods in Assam, and every year the state is incurring huge losses of life and properties, money, and other distinct hardships and is a matter of grave concern.

Now if we speak about the contribution of livestock in Assam’s economy, the 20th Livestock Census 2019 reflects the component-wise livestock population as follows: the cattle population is more than ten million; total indigenous/nondescript cattle is 1.1 crore; the crossbred cattle population is 7.7 lakhs; buffalo 4.2 lakhs; sheep 3.3 lakhs; and goats and pigs account for about 43.15 lakh and 21 lakhs, respectively. Again, the contribution of the livestock sector to the state’s GSDP at the current price was Rs.1122220 for the year 2022-23 (QE) with a growth rate of 16.18% over the previous year. Again, the contribution of the sector to the state’s GSDP at constant price (2011-12 prices) was Rs. 537169 for the year 2022-23 (QE) with a growth rate of 4.41% over the previous year (Economic Survey, Assam, 2023-24).

As there is vast increasing demand for livestock and livestock produce or products in the form of meat, eggs, milk, and other forms of products across the state and also outside the state, protecting or preventing definite huge annual recurring damage in the livestock sector due to floods in the form of death of animals and birds, damage and disease of livestock, loss or damage of livestock rearing structures or shelters, loss of livestock businesses of varied scales of operation, etc., can save the state from incurring huge monetary losses. And this sort of effective intervention can pave the way for sustaining income and livelihood support in livestock rearing or livestock business, and it can glitter a multiplier effect in the state’s economy and its development.

Benefits of Effective Policy Implementation of Livestock Management against Floods in Assam: As livestock is standing as an important economic intervention for yielding due economic empowerment, employment, and socio-economic development in both rural and urban farming communities in Assam, ensuring the due protection and management of livestock against the ill effects of floods during the pre-flood, flood, and post-flood periods is not only essential but also very critical in determining the possibility of converting the economy of our state into a developed state of top order. In achieving this desirable aspiration, the following policy implementations have due potential to reward the state with a very positive impact of socio-economic development with several economies of scale.

1. Construction of suitable shelter in due high places on a community basis with effective involvement of both institutional and non-institutional collective effort for the flood-affected livestock component across the state. Ensuring due effectiveness of these structures at the right time with suitable accessibility to those flood-affected livestock can yield more economic benefit.

2. Development and maintenance of a food or feed bank fulfilling the needs and requirements of all categories of livestock components affected by flood or having the possibility of being affected by flood. Ensuring due accessibility to this facility for the affected livestock across the state with suitable means of communication and transport will yield more dividends. If possible, location-specific feedback can be more meaningful.

3. Ensuring adequate quality water through construction and maintenance of a community tank in a suitable place with a suitable feeding facility arrangement can protect our livestock animals and birds during the vulnerable period of flood and could be a proven sustainable intervention in addressing the problem of flood in the livestock sector.

4. Ensuring sufficient and effective animal health camps with an adequate quantity of medicines and advisories accessible to all the locations affected by the flood could be another viable and proven intervention to protect livestock against the devastating flood.

5. Making suitable arrangements for marketing of livestock produce or products like milk, meat, eggs, etc., through effective and accessible means of road communication or transport facilities can sustain due economic support to livestock entrepreneurs affected by or prone to the effects of floods.

6. Deployment of adequate specialists of veterinary science and livestock management can make the programme for livestock management more successful in flood-affected areas across the state.

7. Promoting cultivation and production of fodder and feed of suitable quality with due market support or buy-back arrangement for cultivators or producers will help in building up a buffer stock of fodder or feed bank meant for the livestock affected by flood.

Thus, in the entire process of livestock management in all the flood-affected areas across the state, the expert opinion from all the stakeholders, including livestock rearers or businessmen, scientists and experts of veterinary science, policymakers, etc., in the right time and place, has the strong possibility of solving the problems of livestock animals and birds. Thus, the livestock component can be a remarkably viable contributor of economic development for the state of Assam and for its farming community.