OneWorld.net (U.S.)

In another worry for Indian health officials, attempts by poultry-owners to cover up bird deaths may have led to the hasty burial of an estimated 40,000 infected chickens in Navapur, without adequate safeguards, before the government got wind of the deadly bird flu outbreak. This could increase the risk of soil and water contamination in affected areas.

While the environmental impact of the large-scale culling in Navapur remains a concern, the real worry is the risk posed to soil and water by clandestine burials that took place before the official culling began on February 19.

Under normal guidelines, infected birds must be put in biodegradable bags before being buried, allowing them to decompose within the bags, and preventing the birds’ remains from coming into contact with the soil, says Maharashtra’s animal husbandry commissioner Vijay Kumar.

It is also vital that infected birds are buried in sufficiently deep pits lined with lime to dehydrate the birds and destroy any bacteria, says Sharwaree Gokhale, Maharashtra’s principal secretary, environment. “If the birds are not buried with the right chemicals there is the danger of soil and water contamination, especially during the rains,” she adds.

Says Kumar: “They (farm-owners) have not chemically treated the pit before dumping the birds. Chemical treatment should also have been done so that dogs, carnivores and insects cannot access the birds.”

SOURCE: Infochange News and Features