TFM had reported that there was free flow of import of poultry and poultry products through the Imphal airport despite the ban by the government as a precautionary measure against highly pathogenic Avian Influenza since January 11.
TFM Desk
A day after TFM reported on the free flow import of poultry and poultry products through the Imphal airport despite the ban by the government as a precautionary measure against highly pathogenic Avian Influenza, the Manipur government on Thursday lifted the ban altogether.
The order issued by joint secretary Laltanpuii Vanchhong said the decision to lift or withdraw the temporary ban on entry of poultry and poultry products such as poultry egg, meat and live birds including ducks/ guinea fowls/ turkey and quails imposed by the state government vide order dated January 11, was taken in pursuance of the letter by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, government of India.
The copy of Thursday’s order was also sent to the director general of Civil Aviation, opposite Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi and director, Airport Authority of India, Imphal, amongst others.
Talking to TFM on Wednesday, Chongtham Dhurva Khaba, a poultry and piggery farmer, had said that banning of the import via road but allowing it via air will not only lead to artificial scarcity of the poultry products but also posed a risk of importing the Avian Influenza itself in the state. He had also expressed apprehension that some influential people might be involved in orchestrating a “black market”.
According to Dhurva, there had been non-stop importing of poultry products through the airport while it had been banned through surface transport since January 11. It created constraints in the market, leading to increase in prices of the commodities, he had added.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, government of India, on January 14 wrote letters to the chief secretaries of the states requesting them “to issue instruction to concerned state authorities and local administration not to impose ban and allow selling of poultry products sourced from the non-infected areas/ states etc.”
The letter also said that the banning of movement of poultry because of infection in wild birds is not justifiable and does not have a scientific basis. The ban should be imposed only within the radius of 10 Km of the infected zone. It further clarified that the virus gets destroyed at 70 degree centigrade within 3 second. Therefore, consumption of meat and egg properly cooked at 70 degrees Celcius have no risk, it added.