New Delhi: The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has banned sale, storage of poultry or processed chicken till further notice in view of bird flu in Delhi. Earlier, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) public health inspectors had requested restaurants not to sell roasted chicken. At a meeting with senior officers of the municipal corporation over bird flu, NDMC Mayor Jai Prakash announced that they will form monitoring committees in livestock markets to prevent bird flu. He said, “We will form monitoring committees in all six zones in North Delhi and also set up monitoring committees in livestock markets.”
On Tuesday, a team of senior NDMC officials, along with the mayor, visited Naini Lake to review the arrangements to minimise the chance of the bird flu spread at the recreation spot. “We are vigilant and continuously working to check the spread of bird flu in our areas. During the inspection, our staff found all the ducks healthy and the migratory birds had already left,” said mayor Jai Prakash. “However, there is no plan to restrict entry of visitors to the site,” the mayor said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also asked all state governments to remain alert and ensure that local administration keeps a constant vigil near places like water bodies, zoos and poultry farms. PM Modi said that the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has put in place a plan to tackle the problem in which district magistrates will have a key role. “I request that chief ministers of all affected states, through the medium of chief secretaries, should guide the district magistrates. The states where bird flu has not been found, there also the governments should be vigilant,” he said at a virtual meeting with chief ministers held to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out in the country.
“All states and local administrations should keep a constant vigil near water bodies, zoos, poultry markets, poultry farms, etc so that information about illness among birds is received on priority,” he said.