The government declaried the areas falling between 0 to 1 km radius from the epicentres as infected zones and the areas falling between 1 to 10 km radius as surveillance zones.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI
The State government on Thursday (April 4, 2025) issued an order notifying outbreak of bird flu in the districts of West Godavari, East Godavari, Kurnool, Eluru, NTR and Kakinada as infected zones and surveillance zones.
As per the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act 2009, the government issued the order declaring the areas falling between 0 to 1 km radius from the epicentres as infected zones and the areas falling between 1 to 10 km radius as surveillance zones, to prohibit the movement of poultry to and from the infected and surveillance zones into disease-free zones.
The notification of the zones comes after positive responses from the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, the order says.
The epicentres are: Velpuru of Tanuku mandal in West Godavari, Kanuru Agraharam village in East Godavari, NR Peta in Kurnool district, Badampudi and Unguturu in Eluru district, Anumullanka and Deeplanagar in NTR district, ward number 21 in Urban Pithapuram and Chendurthy in Kakinada district.
Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, NTR district M. Hanumantha Rao said a red zone remained in place for 90 days from the date of issue of sanitation certificate to a poultry farm. “An official issues a certificate to a poultry farmer after sanitising and sealing the farm. Until 90 days, the farmer cannot bring new birds,” he said, adding that all chicken shops also remain closed within 1 km of the red zone for 90 days. However, one can consume chicken by buying it from other places.
The officials had ordered culling of lakhs of broiler and layer birds and also backyard poultry in these districts. The order enables provision of compensation for the aggrieved farmer, he explained.
Published – April 04, 2025 08:00 am IST
