By Arun Pratap Singh
Rudraprayag, 6 May: Sudden deaths of 14 horses and mules in Kedarnath over the past two days have triggered concerns among officials and devotees undertaking the Chardham Yatra. As many pilgrims rely on horses and mules for the arduous 16-km trek to Kedarnath Dham, their operations have been temporarily halted amid fears of an outbreak. It may also be relevant to remind here that it is not for the first time that horses and mules have died in Kedar Valley. Each year, a number of horses and mules die for want of due care and treatment in the valley as those handling these animals compete with each year to mint as much money as possible during the season without caring for the animals. Many animal activists have been raising this issue but generally it has been overlooked by the government so far.
Animal Husbandry Department Secretary Dr BVRC Purushottam acknowledged that eight animals died on Sunday, followed by six more yesterday. Following these incidents, authorities convened an emergency meeting, deciding to halt their operations for 24 hours to assess the spread of infection and determine possible preventive measures.
A central government team is also scheduled to arrive in Kedar Valley today to investigate the cause of these deaths. Preliminary concerns point to equine influenza, a virus detected in Kedarnath’s horses and mules a month ago. On 4 April, reports surfaced of the disease’s spread among the animals, prompting health officials to conduct a large-scale examination of 16,000 horses and mules between 4 and 30 April. This was recorded as one of the largest inspections of its kind nationwide.
Dr Purushottam added that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued strict instructions to halt the operation of infected animals. Devotees have also been advised to consider alternate means of travel, such as dandi-kanthi. Of the animals tested, 112 were found positive for infection, though subsequent RTPCR tests returned negative results. The recent deaths may not be linked to equine influenza but rather another unidentified cause, the details of which can only be confirmed once the central team concludes its investigation.
Officials note that animals infected with equine influenza or similar viruses typically recover within 10-15 days if quarantined. To ensure safe operations, only animals that test negative will be registered for use during the Kedarnath Yatra. Those testing positive will be barred for 15-16 days until fully recovered.
