On August 1, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Vo Van Tam - Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Chuong Commune (Quang Ngai Province) - said that recently, there has been a situation where people in upstream communes have been dumping dead pigs along the B3 canal, causing environmental pollution and posing a potential risk of disease outbreak.
As of August 1, the locality has discovered and handled 14 dead pigs drifting along the B3 canal section through Binh Chuong commune.
In particular, B3 canal is the main water supply route from Thach Nham, playing an important role in providing irrigation water. Pollution of water sources increases the risk of disease re-ikercing in pigs in the commune.
Immediately after the discovery, the commune authorities organized the collection and destruction of the dead pigs, however, this situation continued to recur throughout the canal.
In the face of the complicated developments of the African swine fever epidemic and the increasing risk of environmental pollution, the People's Committee of Binh Chuong commune has sent a petition to the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Ngai province. In which, it is proposed to increase patrols and set up epidemic control posts for pigs in communes at the headwaters of B3 canal, while strictly handling the act of throwing dead pigs into canals.
The People's Committee of the commune also requested financial support to treat pigs and overcome environmental pollution in canal B3.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Ngai province, in less than 1 month, from June 27 (the day of the first outbreak in Nghia Giang commune) to now, African swine fever has occurred in 2,354 livestock farms in 301 villages, 37 communes and wards in Quang Ngai.
In total, nearly 15,300 pigs were infected with the disease and forced to be destroyed with a total weight of nearly 850 tons.
