2,070 cattle die due to Lumpy Skin Disease in Karnataka
CM Bommai orders releasing Rs 13 cr to tackle lumpy skin disease
Bengaluru, Oct 14: As many as 2,070 cattle have died due to the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Karnataka, while about 19,000 are affected, the state government said on Friday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has ordered releasing Rs 13 crore for the treatment and vaccination of cattle suffering from this viral disease and also to provide relief to those who lost their cattle due to it.
He instructed officials to intensify the vaccination drive, especially in Haveri and Kolar districts where the prevalence is high, a government statement said.
"This disease has been noticed in 4,380 villages of 160 taluks in 28 districts. Of the total 45,645 cattle afflicted by this disease, 26,135 have recovered and 2,070 have died," the statement said.
It added that Rs two crore had already been released as the compensation for those who lost cattle.
"An additional Rs five crore will be released towards the treatment of diseased cattle and Rs eight crore for vaccinating them," the statement said.
The Chief Minister was quoted as saying that as many as 6.57 lakh cattle have been vaccinated.
As per guidelines of Government of India, even the healthy cattle within five km range where this disease has been noticed, must be vaccinated.
"The vaccination must be done on priority in the chronically affected districts," the Chief Minister said and directed officials to immediately obtain 15 lakh doses of vaccine from companies approved by the Government of India.
The Chief Minister noted that lumpy disease does not spread to people by drinking milk from the ailing cows, and awareness in this regard must be created on a big scale.
Steps must be taken to check this disease in the badly-hit districts such as Haveri and Kolar; preventive steps should be taken so that it does not spread to other districts. The vaccination drive must be intensified, he said.
LSD is a contagious viral disease 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.
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Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
