Ajmer: Rajasthan government has decided not to host the globally acclaimed Pushkar Cattle Fair this year owing to fears of Lumpy virus spread among the animals participating in the fair. A communication sent out by the state Animal Husbandry Department accessed by ETV Bharat revealed that the cattle owners were advised not to arrive at the venue with their livestock.
Originally, the State government had planned to hold the fest from October 26 onwards. Last year the fair was organised as a low-key affair after a hiatus induced by the Covid pandemic. The Pushkar Kartik Cattle Fair or Pushkar Camel Fair or Pushkar Mela, as it is locally known as, will draw cattle owners from across the country and tourists from across the globe.
It is an annual five day camel and livestock fair held in the town of Pushkar between the months of October and November. It is one of the world's largest cattle fairs. Apart from the buying and selling of livestock, it has become an important tourist attraction. Competitions such as the ‘matka phod’, ‘longest moustache’ and ‘bridal competition’ are the main draws for this fair which attracts thousands of tourists.
Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral infection that affects cattle and causes fever, nodules on the skin, and can also lead to death. The disease gets spread by mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps by direct contact among the cattle, and through contaminated food and water. The Centre had last month said more than 67,000 animals have died since the outbreak of the lumpy skin disease in July.
It has spread in several states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. On September 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Centre and the states were trying to control the spread of the disease. An indigenous vaccine has been developed for the lumpy skin disease, he said after inaugurating the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022.
