Looking at the sharp decline of the camel population in Rajasthan, the state government has come up with the Camel Conservation Scheme. The scheme is getting a good response.
'For the conservation and promotion of the state animal camel, the state government is running a "Camel Conservation Scheme" in the entire state. Under the scheme, an amount of ₹5000 is being transferred directly to the camel herders in their account,' said the additional director Department of Animal Husbandry, Dr. Naveen Mishra adding that the objective of the scheme is not only to conserve the state animal but also to encourage camel breeding.
Camel population on a sharp decline
On 16 September 2014, the camel was declared the state animal in Rajasthan. According to the Animal Census 2019, about 84.43% percent of the total number of camels in the country are in Rajasthan but as per the state government data, the camel population has witnessed a sharp decline of 34% - it was 3.5 lakh in 2015 and reduced to 2.13 lakh in 2019.
Camel Conservation Scheme bans slaughtering and taking camels out of state
Under the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act 2015, there is a ban on the slaughtering of camels and taking them out of the state without competent permission and camel handlers are now moving away from camel breeding. Looking at this the state government launched Camel Conservation Scheme.
Officials go for physical verification
In February this year and to date more than 17,000 online applications have been received under the scheme. For physical verification of the beneficiaries, senior officials of the department go on the spot and check the tags and numbers of camels and calves.
Mishra claimed that today the state is leading in the field of camel conservation and the scheme is creating new avenues for earnings for camel handlers.
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