: Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha, Vijender Gupta, on Friday demanded that the Delhi government constitute a Central Monitoring Committee for prevention, control and management of bird flu in the Capital following his visit to the Ghazipur Murga Mandi in east Delhi.
Saying that the monitoring committe should be constituted as an apex committee comprising Delhi Government Rapid Action Teams, officials, three municipal corporations, public health and veterinary officers and representatives of the poultry industry, Mr. Gupta demanded that all unauthorised poultry sale points be closed.
Mr. Gupta was accompanied by EDMC Mayor Satya Sharma, MLA OP Sharma, EDMC Chairman, Standing Committee, Jitender Chaudhary, Shahdara (south) Chairman Devender Kumar and Chairman Health Committee among other officials.
“My interaction with wholesale poultry dealers revealed that there are serious apprehensions and misgivings amongst them. The government must take immediate preventive steps to restore their confidence and allay their apprehensions,” said Mr. Gupta.
“Persons at high risk should be properly educated on how to handle the situation, use gloves and masks. There is a pressing need to maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness in chicken wholesale markets and birding sites in the city,” he further said.
Besides the Ghazipur Murga Mandi, the Nizamuddin Poultry Market, the government must, Mr. Gupta said, keep an eye on six points in Delhi frequented by migratory birds, such as the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, the Najafgarh Drain, the Delhi Zoo and Deer Park. Mr. Gupta called upon the government to keep close coordination with concerned teams from other states which handled the 2008 bird flu outbreak.
“Though the situation is not very serious as the bird flu has not been detected so far in humans, it is necessary to be alert. Hospitals must be kept ready and commonly used medicines well stocked,” he added.
Vijender Gupta has asked the Delhi govt to coordinate with teams that handled the 2008 outbreak
