As animals are often forgotten victims of natural disasters, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is now getting trained to rescue livestock also, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
Since disasters have the potential to affect livestock adversely, the minister called for "collective efforts" to adopt a "holistic approach" in addressing issues of animals, for which sensitisation of all the related stakeholders is very essential.
"It is important to note that animals are often the forgotten victims of disasters and thousands of animals suffer and perish each year. No doubt, prevention of loss of human lives has to be the top priority, however, livestock protection is no way less important," Singh said addressing a workshop on 'Management of Animals in Emergencies' organised by National Institute of Disaster management (NIDM) here.
The disaster management has emerged as one of the most critical aspects of administration in recent years. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been doing a commendable job in search and rescue of people from various disasters, he said in a statement.
"I am happy to know that they are now getting trained on management of animals in emergencies and working to get equipped to rescue animals also from disasters. I think it would be good if they could provide required technical support to state governments whenever required," he added.
The minister hoped that institutes such as NIDM, World Animal Protection and all related veterinary stakeholders would work together in developing strategies for effectively managing animals in emergencies.
Noting that India is vulnerable to a large number of disasters, Singh said on an average, direct natural disasters losses amount up to 2 per cent of India's GDP and up to 12 per cent of central government revenues.
Similarly, 94,830 cattle are lost per year on an average due to floods alone in India as per the National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA) Flood Guidelines, he said, adding the losses and impact of other disasters on animals are equally significant, but are neither reported nor highlighted by media.
India is having not only largest bovine population but also second largest cattle population and third-largest sheep population in the world. The workshop aims to identify the challenges and focus on the way forward to mitigate and prevent loss of livestock before, during and after disasters.
In the 2016 budget, the government has allocated Rs 1,600 crore for Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries as against Rs 1,491 crore in 2015-16.
