21 poultry birds dead

A total of 21 poultry birds, including 15 birds in Beed and six birds in Nandurbar, were found dead due to bird flu. No death cases were reported in other birds, including herons, sparrows, parrots and crows in the state. The samples of the dead birds are being sent for testing to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Disease Investigation Section in Pune. The Department of Animal Husbandry has said that the containment measures implemented after the bird flu was detected on January 8 has worked. The spread of the disease has been controlled and this was possible as the state government had delegated powers to the district collectors under the provisions of Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases Act, 2009. Thereafter, district collectors took preventive measures by initiating the process of declaring ‘alert zones’ in areas where such cases were found. So far, 8,84,076 poultry birds, including 7,49,472 birds from Navapur in Nandurbar district, 30,00,321 eggs and 64,394 kilograms of poultry feed have been culled and destroyed within a radius of 1km from the poultry farm in the infected zones.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized smuggled foreign cigarettes worth Rs 4.75 crore near Nhava Sheva Port.

“The DRI Mumbai recieved a specific intelligence input that a large quantity of foreign cigarettes was being smuggled into India in an import consignment from Dubai. The DRI officers identified the suspected consignment and intercepted it at a container freight station near Nhava Sheva Port,” said a senior officer.

“During examination, 21,60,000 cigarette sticks worth Rs 4.75 crore were recovered,” said the officer.