Bird Flu: All 3 Civic Bodies Ban Sale, Storage of Chicken in Delhi

Restaurant and hotel owners have been warned of action if egg-based dishes or poultry meat are served to customers.

The sale and storage of poultry or processes chicken has been banned in Delhi, till further notice. Image used for representation.

(Photo: IANS)

The North, South Delhi and East Municipal corporations on Wednesday, 13 January banned the sale and storage of poultry or processed chicken till further notice, in view of rising cases of bird flu in the national capital, PTI reported.

Owners of restaurants and hotels have been warned of action if egg-based dishes or poultry meat are served to customers.

“Eat only completely cooked eggs and poultry products cooked at 70 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Don’t consume half-cooked chicken or half-boiled and half-fried eggs,” an advisory issued by the Delhi government said.

“It is an initial precautionary stage. If situation comes under control, the curbs will be removed sooner. Special care needs to be taken in slum areas as they have illegal mandis. We have set up a surveillance team to monitor the situation,” North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Jai Prakash was quoted by ANI as saying.

The first cases of bird flu in Delhi were confirmed on Monday after eight samples from dead crows and ducks tested positive for avian flu. Earlier, over 35 crows were found dead in Delhi, including 24 at a park in Jasola, and 10 ducks at Sanjay Lake.

According to ANI, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said, “Crows and ducks were reported dead in New Delhi and Sanjay lake areas, respectively”

At least 10 states, including Delhi, have reported cases of Bird Flu so far with the deaths of thousands of birds across the country. The central government has set up a control room in Delhi to track and monitor the situation and to prevent the spread in humans.