Agartala, 7th July 2026: The Animal Resources Development Department (ARDD) of Tripura successfully hosted a state-level seminar on ‘Livestock Health Security: Innovations in Disease Prevention, Surveillance and Control’ aimed at strengthening disease surveillance, mitigating emerging livestock threats, and preparing the state for historic upcoming investments in the animal husbandry sector.
The event brought together top veterinary experts, researchers from across the region—including Assam and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI)—field veterinarians, and key departmental stakeholders to discuss integrated disease control strategies and modern technological interventions.
Addressing the gathering, ARDD Director Neeraj Kumar Chanchal emphasized the critical nature of the seminar, urging participants to actively engage with the visiting experts.
“This is a highly important seminar. I request everyone to stay until the very end to reap its full benefits and raise any questions you may have,” Director Chanchal said. “Recognizing our own limitations in specialized fields, we have carefully selected topics and invited top-tier experts from various disciplines to enlighten our workforce.”
## Managing Borders and Wildlife Threats
Director Chanchal highlighted Tripura’s unique geographical vulnerabilities, noting that the state’s landlocked nature and trans-boundary borders with neighboring countries and states pose a distinct challenge to biosecurity.
“One crucial factor we sometimes overlook in disease spread is our checkered landlocked terrain interspersed with forests and wildlife,” the Director noted. “I specifically request our visiting experts to focus on these unique environmental factors to help expand our understanding.”
Despite these challenges, the Director revealed that Tripura has successfully contained four major recurring and emerging diseases: Classical Swine Fever (CSF), African Swine Fever (ASF), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
“Containing these diseases is a major challenge, but we have been highly successful thanks to the tireless efforts of our field veterinarians, farm in-charges, and the support of our Disease Investigation Laboratory (DI Lab) alongside external experts,” he added.
In a significant directive to the academic community, Director Chanchal urged professors and researchers at the state’s veterinary college to investigate the link between Tripura’s natural environment and animal health.
“Analysis shows that Tripura’s water content contains very high levels of iron, and soil samples from areas like the Jampui Hills reveal a significant presence of lead. Unlike humans, our cattle and pigs do not get filtered water. There is an urgent need for our college professors to conduct research into whether these natural factors are inducing metabolic diseases in our livestock.”
The Director linked the state’s robust disease control mechanism to a massive economic milestone. Tripura is set to host a major Business Enclave on July 9th and 10th, marking the first time the animal husbandry sector will see substantial participation from commercial stakeholders.
“Investors are showing immense interest, particularly in establishing cattle and dairy farms. This interest proves that our disease surveillance and monitoring efforts are yielding positive results, though we must continue to address technological and research shortcomings,” Chanchal stated.
Complementing the Director’s scientific roadmap, ARDD Secretary Deepa D. Nair highlighted the massive growth the state’s livestock sector has witnessed over the last five years.
Secretary Nair stated that against this backdrop of rapid expansion, the seminar serves as a vital training ground to equip local veterinarians with modern methods of disease prevention, surveillance, and treatment. She placed special emphasis on controlling zoonotic diseases—illnesses capable of jumping from animals to humans—to safeguard public health.
The seminar concluded with detailed technical sessions mapping out integrated disease control strategies. Officials noted that by leveraging modern technology and securing livestock health, Tripura aims to simultaneously boost farmers’ productivity and protect the state’s overall public health.
