Plea seeks Delhi HC's direction to ban culling of birds in Ghazipur market

A plea has been filed in Delhi High Court seeking direction to ensure that no birds are slaughtered in and around the Ghazipur Murga Mandi in view of the outbreak of avian influenza. The plea states that slaughtering of birds in a livestock market without appropriate licenses and in absence of the infrastructure mandated by law makes it a hot spot for the spread of diseases.

The plea moved by Animals Right activist Gauri Mulekhi also states that the lack of hygiene is recorded and is evident in Ghazipur Murga Mandi making it a breeding ground for the outbreak of a pandemic or susceptible to the current outbreak of avian influenza imposing severe danger to public health and safety. A bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh will hear the matter on Tuesday.

The application has been moved in an ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that poultry birds are being traded and slaughtered illegally at the Ghazipur Murga Mandi in East Delhi. According to the PIL, the rampant illegal slaughter of approximately 2.5 lakh poultry birds every day by wholesale traders in Ghazipur Murga Mandi is in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and other laws related to that.

The fresh application states that there has been an avian influenza outbreak in the country. The outbreak occurred in Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana which has to lead to the death and culling of thousands of birds and animals. The Department of Animals Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has set up a control room in New Delhi to take stock on a daily basis of preventive and control measures undertaken by state authorities, the plea added. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are the major suppliers of poultry birds to Ghazipur Murga Mandi situated in East Delhi. In the past, Ghazipur Murga Mandi has been the epicentre for avian influenza outbreak in Delhi, because of unchecked transportation and slaughter of lakhs of birds every day, brought from various other states, the plea states.

The plea alleges that Ghazipur Murga Mandi is the biggest illegal chicken slaughter hub of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. It functions in complete disregard to law and follows no veterinary health check protocols. More than two lakh birds that are brought into this market daily are not screened for any disease. No ante mortem or post mortem is performed nor are any heath records of the birds maintained. This place is not only an illegal slaughter area but also a breedingground for pathogens and diseases. Unhygienic conditions in which the Ghazipur Murga Mandhi operates in absence of any health check of birds, avian influenza can easily spread in this market and could impose severe danger to public health and safety, the plea added. (ANI)

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