BHOPAL: Families planning a memorable wedding for their sons in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal will have to shelve the idea of seeing the groom on the horse now.
Reason: The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned the movement of horses and related class of animals within the municipal limits of the city, to prevent the possibility of spread of contagious Glanders Disease that was detected recently in a horse in the Kaji Camp-Bafna Colony area.
According to the order issued by the BMC commissioner Priyanka Das, “the order was issued following the receipt of the letter from the Bhopal district collector, which informed about a horse owned by one Rahman in Kaji Camp-Bafna Colony area, being detected to be suffering with the Glanders Disease.
In line with the notifications and circulars issued by the central government and state government for control of Glanders Disease as well as other contagious diseases, the BMC commissioner ordered a ban on the movement of horses and related class of animals, their exhibition at fairs and festivals and horse races at sports events with effect from May 4 till further orders.
The copies of the BMC commissioner’s order have been sent to the district police, regional transport office (RTO), deputy director (animal health services Bhopal), all BMC zonal officers and sanitation officers for compliance.
Glanders is an infectious disease by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. It’s primarily a disease affecting horses, but can also spread to donkeys, mules, goats, dogs and cats. As per veterinary experts, Glanders can even be passed on to humans, through contact with affected animals, particularly from nasal discharge of infected animal.
The ban on movement and show of horses within the municipal limits of the city is bound play spoilsport to the plans of those families who might have booked horses for their grooms to travel to the bride home in imperial style. While six marriage muhurats (auspicious days) are slated between May 5 and May 13, ten marriage days are there in June, ensued by nine such auspicious dates in July.