20,000 hens die in poultry at Nandurbar

Preliminary probe reveals death due to Ranikhet, real cause to be ascertained after test report

Death of 20,000 hens at the poultry farm in Navapur tehsil of the tribal dominated Nandurbar district has raised an alarm. The district administration has swung into action as the samples have been sent for testing to find out whether death was due to bird flu.

The department of animal husbandry secretary Anoop Kumar told Free Press Journal, “Preliminary investigations reveal that the death of hens was due to Ranikhet disease which is a contagious viral disease that affects chickens and birds of all ages. However, the samples have been sent for testing and the report is awaited. The district administration will file FIR against the concerned poultry farm for delays in informing the death of hens.’’ He said that Navapur has been a major poultry hub with more than 25 lakh hens there.

The district collector Rajendra Bharud has ordered an inquiry and the administration has set up a buffer zone around the poultry where the birds died. The district administration had received a complaint from an anonymous complainant that hens were buried in the pit. The Tehesildar visited the concerned poultry farm and carried a panchanama.

Bharud said the administration has initiated precautionary measures considering the health of the citizens. He said the cause of death will be known only after the test report is received.