286/2024-2025

Aizawl, 14^th October, 2024: The Department of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation (DM&R) issues the following notification on norms and guidelines for disaster relief for ASF virus outbreak, as approved by SEC:

As per the approval of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), African Swine Fever (ASF) is declared as State Specific Disaster for the State of Mizoram and a notified natural calamity for 2024 in the State of Mizoram. As per the decision of State Executive Committee (SEC), assistance for the losses caused by this State Specific Disaster shall be met from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) constituted as per Section a8(1)(a) of Disaster Management Act, 2005. Norms of assistance under State Disaster Response fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as notified by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India for FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 shall be applicable for the year 2024.

Therefore, the Competent, Authority hereby lays down the detailed norms and guidelines for disaster relief for ASF virus outbreak, as approved by SEC:

1. Outbreak of ASF is defined as contagious and fatal spread of viral disease among domestic and wild pigs. World Organisation of Animal Health recognizes ASF as a fatal disease, whose mortality can reach 100%.

2. For the purpose of this notification, outbreak of ASF in the State of Mizoram in 2024 will be considered from the day when first case was reported the year 2024.

3. All the bio-containment and bio-security measures as detailed in the National Action Plan for ASF, as released by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India in June 2020, will come into operation at the check posts and boundaries of State and also within the State.

4. As per Section-20 of The Prevention & Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, duty has been assigned to District Veterinary Officer to designate an area as the 'infection zone', as and when an outbreak of a scheduled disease, such as ASF, occurs within his/ her jurisdiction. Upon such declaration, Deputy Commissioner of the district shall issue prohibitory order, as per the National Action Plan for ASF prescribed by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India in June 2020. All the Standard Operating Procedures for the management of infection zones as per National Action plan for ASF shall be in place in each designated infection zone. District Veterinary Officer shall work in close coordination with district administration and jurisdictional village/municipal/autonomous council for the management of infection zones to effectively check the spread of ASF virus.

5. Pig is recognised as a small economically productive animal under SDRF guidelines and assistance for relief will be admissible under the overall framework of SDRF, in case of mortality due to ASF infection.

6. Any claim for assistance due to mortality of pig due to ASF infection will be made to the office of District Veterinary Officer (DVO) in the concerned district under Animal Husbandry & Veterinary department.

7. All claims of mortality of pig due to ASF infection must be verified by District Veterinary Officer. DVO will issue certificate to this effect in each such claim.

8. Certificate of mortality due to ASF must accompany any Claim for Assistance being forwarded by DVO to the Deputy Commissioner in her/his capacity as Chairperson District Disaster Management Authority. Claims for Assistance without mortality certificate duly issued by DVO will not be entertained.

9. Only claims for assistance due to mortality caused by ASF virus infection will be admissible under this notification. Any claim for assistance due to mortality caused by culling of pigs will not be admissible under these provisions. However, claims for assistance due to mortality caused by culling of pigs will be admissible separately under the centrally sponsored scheme of Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD).

10. All such claims must be filed within 30 days of mortality or within 30 days of publication of this notification - whichever is later.

11. As per SDRF guidelines, claims for assistance for the loss of milch animal is admissible from Small and Marginal farmers/Landless Livestock Owners only if number and type of animals owned by them are registered with local/designated authority. Since outbreak of ASF was unanticipated and animals owned by farmers were, not registered with local/designated government authority and a large number of farmers have suffered huge losses, therefore giving one time exception, mortality of pigs due to ASF infection certified by DVO, to be called as 'mortality certificate', will also serve as registration of number and type of animals owned by Small and Marginal Farmers/Landless Livestock Owners within the frameworks of SDRF norms for assistance. This record of registration of number and type of animals shall be maintained by the office of District Veterinary Officer.

12. Going forward, Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary will enumerate and register all pig owners with the details of number and type of animals owned by them. This responsibility is being assigned to the office of District Veterinary Officer (DVO). Other departments and institutions such as Village Council, Municipal Council, District Administration, Autonomous District Councils and others must provide any assistance sought from DVO in this regard. DVO shall maintain a register of pig owners with details of numbers and types, for all village councils, municipal councils and autonomous district councils. This registration must be updated at the beginning of every year. DVOs will submit a certified register for each village council/ municipality/ autonomous council before 31^st March of each year to Director, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary.

13. As per SDRF norms, assistance of Rs.4000/- for each pig lost due to ASF infection will be admissible.

14. Moreover, for the purpose of State Specific Disaster of ASF in 2024, State Government of Mizoram fixes a ceiling of claim for assistance due to mortality caused by ASF infection of upto six pigs per household irrespective of whether a household has lost a larger number of animals.

15. All the claims submitted to the Deputy Commissioner will be scrutinised before recommending them to DM&R Department for release of assistance.

16. Assistance under these provisions will be released to the district Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs)/ Deputy Commissioners who will in turn release the same directly to the bank account of the claimants.

17. If a farmer has already received assistance for the mortality of pigs due to ASF infection under any other scheme of Government, then their claims will not be admissible under these provisions.

18. This notification will be in effect until expressly withdrawn by Government of Mizoram.

This is issued with the approval of the State Executive Committee (SEC) and Chairman, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)