Sale of pigs pork banned in Assam's Barpeta after African Swine Fever outbreak

    Barpeta, May 16 (PTI) The sale of pigs and pork was banned in Assam's Barpeta district on Friday following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).
    ASF broke out in Gahia village in the Sarukhetri development block.
    To contain the spread of the infection, District Magistrate Diganta Baishya invoked Section 16 of the Assam Epidemic Disease Act, 2023, to ban the sale of pigs, piglets, pork and related products, said a notification.
    Transportation of pigs, both within and outside the district, has been restricted, except for movement on the national highway, it said.
    People have been strictly prohibited from disposing of pig carcasses in open fields, water bodies or other exposed areas, the notification said.
    Suppressing information related to pig deaths or symptoms of ASF from veterinary or district officials will be treated as a punishable offence, it said.
    Gathering of four or more people has been barred within a 1-km radius of the affected zone, it added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)