Locals smuggling chickens from India despite govt restriction

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 26, 2013 - Some poultry businessmen and the local residents in Jhapa district have been found smuggling chickens from India despite the ban on the trade of fowl following a widespread outbreak of blue flu in the country. The fact was revealed after a team of Armed Police Force (AFP) deployed at the main border check post of Kakarvhitta seized bags filled with chickens from the locals on Monday.

 

After the outbreak of bird flu in 2008, Nepal government has put a ban on the buying of chicken and poultry products from India. In addition to that, the Jhapa District Office of Animal Husbandry had recently warned the locals against bird flu infection. “Despite all the efforts made to prevent bird flu from spreading, it´s saddening to find the locals still buying chickens secretly,” said Armed Police Force Inspector, Hira Bohora.

According to Bohora, they have confiscated 30 boiler chickens from Gaithe near Mechi Custom Office. The arrested locals have claimed that they had bought the chickens for their relative´s wedding party. “When the smuggling of beetle nuts is rampant in the area, a new challenge has come up for us now,” said Bohora.
Talking to Republica, Deputy Chairperson of Jhapa Poultry Farmers´ Association, Hari Prasad Timilsina, said that the government´s poor monitoring mechanism promoted such illegal activities. “The restriction on importing chickens and poultry products from India has been left in the papers only as no one is following the legal terms in reality. This activity should be brought under control without any delay,” said Timilsina.

Meanwhile, Kakarvitta Animal Quarantine Office also admitted that the situation is going out of hands. “We have also arrested many locals with chickens hidden inside their personal belongings. The open and porous border between Nepal and India makes it hard to contain such illegal activity,” said Veterinary officer at the quarantine office, Mukesh Kumar Singh. In the past few months, bird flu virus has been detected in ten different areas of the district.