Lumpy skin disease: Protest over 300 cows' death.

BAHAWALNAGAR -- Scores of cattle breeders held a protest against the district administration and livestock department at Chak Jodheka on Friday, alleging that hundreds of their cattle died of the lumpy skin disease within the last three weeks due the apathy of the department, which failed to provide vaccination against the viral disease despite being timely informed by them.

The protesters said that when their cattle were first infected with the disease about three weeks back they immediately approached the district administration and the livestock department. However, they bemoaned, neither any livestock official nor any other official concerned visited the village to treat or vaccinate the cattle despite repeated complaints.

The villagers said the cattle were their bread and butter and they would annually get the return of their labour by selling sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha, which was round the corner.

They tried their best to treat their cattle on their own by hiring private veterinary doctors and using costly medicines but to no avail and more than 300 cows worth millions died within three weeks.

They bemoaned that the disease was still spreading in the area and feared that it would eliminate a large number of cattle if the livestock department did not take any serious measures to control it. They demanded Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz initiate a survey in the affected areas and compensate the victims.

Livestock Additional Director Dr Rizwana Chaudhry told Dawn a...