OTHER DEPARTMENTS

THE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENT

Functions.

THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENT are treatment of sick animals, control of various live-stock diseases and improvement of live-stock in the State. The department also conducts the work of control and eradication of ticks. It also advises people in the hygienic methods of animal management and insists upon improving the breed of live-stock for the preservation of animal wealth of the country, by the method of artificial insemination, etc.

Veterinary Activities.

The veterinary activities in Satara district are controlled by the Divisonal Veterinary Officer, now designated as District Animal Husbandry Officer, Satara Division, Satara, who is in-charge of three districts at present, viz., Satara, Sangli and Sholapur. He is an officer of Class II rank in the Maharashtra Veterinary Service and is directly responsible and subordinate to the Director of Animal Husbandry, Maharashtra State, Poona.

Veterinary Dispensaries.

In the Satara district, there are eleven veterinary dispensaries located at Satara, Nagthana, Patan, Rahimatpur, Medha, Phaltan, Vaduj, Mhaswad, Lonand, Karad and Wai.

Of these, the Nagthana dispensary is run by Government and the rest are maintained by the District Local Board, Satara.

The veterinary officers in charge of the veterinary dispensaries, except the dispensary at Lonand, are Government officers of Class III in Maharashtra Veterinary Service. The veterinary dispensary at Lonand is a branch veterinary dispensary and is in charge of a stockman. The stockmen attached to other veterinary dispensaries carry out vaccinations and castrations. The veterinary officers in charge of the veterinary dispensaries visit the centres coming under then-jurisdiction for treatment of animals.

In areas taken up for National Extension Scheme, and Block Department activities, stockmen are placed at the veterinary aid centres. Under this scheme, two veterinary aid centres are functioning in Patan taluka, four in Karad taluka, four in Satara taluka and two in Wai taluka. These centres are supervised by veterinary officers in charge of the main veterinary dispensaries in the respective areas.

Diseases, Inoculations and Vaccinations.

In 1957-58, 31,458 animals were treated for contagious and non- contagious diseases and 3,565 castrations were performed at the veterinary dispensaries in the district. In the same year the staff treated 20,924 animals and performed 1,002 castrations in the villages while on tour.

The following are the statistics of out-breaks of main contagious diseases and the vaccinations carried out during the year 1957-58:—

During 1957-58, 17,579 animals were sprayed with Gammexane powder by the field-staff for the eradication of ticks.

There is an artificial insemination sub-centre at Phaltan and at Karad. In all 448 inseminations were performed at the Phaltan sub-centre in 1957-58.

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