Bird Flu hits again: History repeats itself?
Bird flu is in news again. Soon casualty numbers would flash on TV and then maybe something would be done on a temporary basis to curb the virus. Does it mean that this should be the way of life for the people of India?
AFTER THE first detection of bird flu in India in 2006, it was understood that the disease caused by virus cannot be eradicated but managed. As is normal under the case, the fact that 4,000 poultry birds had to be slaughtered off was taken with a pinch of salt by the people, although it made headlines. It has been five years, government is warning of bird flu again in parts of Assam, Bengal and the North east. What has changed in the five years or must I question has something changed in the last five years? As far as the news reports go, it seems as if history is repeating itself. With fresh evidence of the flu that has been disclosed and confirmed on Tuesday in the Nadia District of Bengal, Government has already announced culling of the birds within three kilometres radius of the village of Tehatta I block in Nadia District. Although the slaughter or the culling of the birds is a necessary evil, yet why can’t this disease be managed effectively, as every time a serious situation arose, it is the lower income group who suffers.
This time Assam too noticed the infection in the poultry birds and has warned the transfer of poultry from one place to another. In 2008 almost a million birds was culled and there was a minor outbreak in 2010. Some control has been noticed by the Government but the people who have poultry and birds are their livelihood, in Bengal, they are left high and dry by the Government time and again. Inspite of forming an important part of the economy, as they add to the import and export, these people are not given proper compensation for the culling of their birds.
One of the major reasons for the reluctance among the poultry farmers for culling off their birds is the reason that they do not get enough compensation. A person losing out 100 birds from his poultry would not be thrilled to get a paltry amount for the same. Apart from the past experiences the Government is yet to distribute high quality feed for the birds. It was seen that the Government doesn’t really care about this part of the people and it is only when Bird flu hits these areas that they sit up to do something and kill off the birds, which in turn kill off many people’s daily wage.
Each year it is the same story and it is not just one place but time and again this virus sprouts up in different places. At least the Government can encourage the poultry people to farm birds in small numbers, give them high quality feed for their birds and give them proper compensation after the culling of the birds. If each Chief Minister takes care of their individual state and give some money to these people instead of pocketing the whole amount then the entire nation would be safe.
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