Flu scare: Telangana govt halts chicken supplies from Maharashtra to state

HYDERABAD: The state government on Monday issued orders to the district collectors to temporarily stop chicken supplies from Maharashtra to Telangana until the bird flu is brought under control in the neighbouring state.
Though there is no case of bird flu in Telangana so far, confirmed cases of bird flu in poultry have been reported from nine districts of Maharashtra including Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Pune, Solapur, Yavatmal, Ahmednagar, Beed and Raigad, where affected and suspected birds are being culled.The state government has directed the district collectors of Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Adilabad, Asifabad and Mancherial to be on high alert and restrict the entry of birds from Maharashtra. These districts share the borders with Maharashtra where bird flu cases have been confirmed.
Animal husbandry minister T Srinivas Yadav held a high-level meeting here on Monday on steps taken to check spread of bird flu in Telangana and directed the officials of animal husbandry department to coordinate with other departments concerned to set up check posts on borders and restrict the entry of poultry from Maharashtra.
“There is scope of small traders in the bordering villages going to Maharashtra and purchasing chicken, the rates of which have fallen rock bottom due to bird flu cases. These are precautionary measures,” animal husbandry director V Lakshma Reddy said.
Officials said the Centre has asked states to not ban sale of poultry and allow sale of poultry sourced from non-infected areas and states.