Veterinary Department Finally Culls 31 Pigs at Rohit Sahu’s Farm

A Correspondent

Bokakhat: The Veterinary Department today culled 31 pigs at the farm of Rohit Sahu in Chahala, Jogoniati, Bokakhat. Over the past 11 days, 110 pigs on the farm had died one after another.

After noticing the continuous deaths, Sahu immediately informed the Veterinary Department. However, according to him, the concerned authorities failed to take the matter seriously. It was only after the death toll crossed 100 and local media began publishing continuous reports that the department acted. On July 19, Sahu submitted a written complaint to the Bokakhat Co-District Commissioner, emailed the Chief Minister's Office, and informed the local MLA. Only then did the department become active.

The symptoms shown by the pigs were consistent with African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious disease. A few days earlier, the State Animal Husbandry Minister had visited Bokakhat, and journalists had also informed him about the situation. Even then, no immediate action was taken.

Sahu said he repeatedly contacted both the Golaghat District Animal Husbandry Department and the Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Veterinary Department, requesting that samples be tested for suspected African Swine Fever. He pointed out that if ASF is officially confirmed through laboratory testing, farmers are eligible for compensation for pigs that die or are culled. However, officials reportedly told him that arranging sample testing was the farmer's responsibility, effectively declining to take prompt action.

After one pig died on July 15 and five more on July 16, Sahu again informed the authorities in detail. According to available information, blood samples were finally collected on July 22 under pressure. Since Bokakhat has no laboratory to test for ASF, the samples had to be sent to Guwahati. With no alternative, Sahu personally paid to courier the samples. The laboratory received them on July 24, and the department obtained the test results on July 25. However, the official confirmation was announced only on the afternoon of July 26.

Following the confirmation, the Golaghat District Commissioner issued strict containment orders, enforcing restrictions within a 10-kilometre radius of the infected farm.

Notably, media reports stated that Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia had received a written reply in the Assam Legislative Assembly saying that no pigs had died from African Swine Fever in the state during the current year.

After yesterday's official order, the authorities today culled the remaining 32 pigs (the report earlier mentions 31) on Sahu's farm using the prescribed procedure and buried the carcasses safely.

The loss has devastated Rohit Sahu. Officials who carried out the culling reportedly informed him that he may receive compensation only for the pigs culled today, while the 110 pigs that had died earlier would not be covered.

Sahu, who had taken a bank loan to establish a successful pig farming enterprise and had even been invited to New Delhi by the Prime Minister to receive recognition for his achievements, now questions what mistake he made. He says he had been informing the department repeatedly from the time only five pigs had died. One official had initially assured him that post-mortem examinations would be conducted, but no such examination took place, forcing him to bury the dead animals.

Sahu believes that if the department had acted promptly after his initial reports, many of the pigs could have been tested in time and their deaths brought under the compensation scheme. He has now appealed for the intervention of Bokakhat MLA and senior Assam Minister Atul Bora in the matter.

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