SRINAGAR: There will be no sale of sacrificial animals at any unauthorised place in Kashmir this year, to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, PK Pole has directed in a recent meeting with various arms of the administration.
“Sale and purchase of the animals shall be done strictly as per COVID-19 guidelines,” read the minutes of the meeting chaired by the Divisional Commissioner. Pole has directed the deputy commissioners of all districts to identify places where the sale of sacrificial animals can take place, with the support of the animal husbandry department, which has been asked to keep animals available for sale.
The deputy commissioners have also been directed to ensure strict adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines/SOPs in their respective districts.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 this year. Ahead of the festival, people buy animals which they sacrifice on the day of the festival. The animals are usually sold at public places without any official permission, but this time, the sale can only be done at designated places.
Not only this, Pole has also asked the health department to do mass vaccination and testing of people at the designated sites.
Director Health Services Kashmir, the minutes read, shall explore the possibility of vaccination and testing at these identified places of sacrificial animals and markets. “Testing and vaccination facilities shall be provided to the commuters on the roads viz Mughal Road and Simthan Pass also,” it further reads.
Red Cross, NSS, NCC, and Home Guard would also be used for managing the Eid rush, Pole has directed in the meeting.
About two-three lakh sheep have been kept available, while more animals are being imported from neighbouring states, it was informed in the meeting.
“Director FCS&CA and Animal Husbandry shall ensure that only quality and healthy animals are transported to Kashmir valley for sacrificial purposes,” reads the document.
Eid this year is coming at a time when Covid-19 cases are at their lowest after the raging second wave. From 7,000 a day, daily cases have fallen to around 200 in Kashmir.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz