KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken serious notice of peafowl deaths in Tharparkar owing to the spread of Newcastle disease (locally known as rani khet virus) apparently due to the negligence of the veterinary department, and directed the veterinary and forest departments to work in close coordination with each other to control the disease.

The chief minister came to know of the spread of the virus in different Thar villages, where over two dozen peafowl have reportedly died from the disease, through a report he sought from the forest department. The report indicated that 27 peafowl had died in eight villages of Tharparkar.

Taking serious notice of the disease, he said it was unacceptable that off and on, even during this winter season, peafowl were dying because of irresponsible attitude of the authorities concerned.

Forest department secretary Manzoor Shaikh in his report to the chief minister said that in view of the situation, he had sent the deputy conservator of forest to the affected areas in Thar on Feb 26 where people in Bakho village, some 30 kilometres north of Mithi, told him that chicken and peafowl were dying largely due to spread of the virus whereas the site investigations since 2007 had established that the main source behind the deaths of peafowl was Newcastle disease, which originated from poultry. As such, the report highlighted the need for immediate preventive measures to be taken by the veterinary department.

Giving details of the peafowl deaths, the report says that four peacocks died in Aqliyoon, two in Bangal of Chhor taluka, four in Bakho, four in Posarko of Mithi, two in Dhabaro, two in Seenghalo, Diplo taluka, and nine in Derandeida of Nagarparkar.

On the basis of the report the chief minister issued directives to the veterinary and forest departments to work in close coordination with each other to control the disease and keep sending their reports to him.

He also directed them to start medication of peafowl and chickens in the area, segregate the ailing peafowl from the healthy ones and on top of it to formulate a `Save the peacock strategy’ on a war footing.

He directed the forest and veterinary departments to depute efficient and energetic officials in Thar to tackle the situation.

Solar village electrification

The chief minister on Tuesday decided to launch a solar village electrification programme in collaboration with China in the far-flung areas of the province.

In this connection, he held a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu here at CM House and had a discussion on the ADP scheme of Rs2 billion for village electrification with Rs500 million allocation in the current financial year.

The Chinese CG said that his government had initially allocated $80,000 for providing solar panels for the rural areas of Sindh. He also assured the chief minister of technical support and enhanced financial assistance once the work started.

The chief minister said he had framed a policy under which those villages would be provided solar panels which were away from the national grid. “I want to see every house in the rural areas bright with solar energy,” he said and added that the areas of Kachho, Kohistan and other regions had no facility of electricity and with electrification the lifestyle of the localities would change.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2017