All activities in & around Sukhna suspended

Bipin Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

With the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL), Bhopal, confirming one of the six samples of the dead geese positive for the dreaded avian influenza (H5N1)virus, the UT Administration has suspended every activity in and around Sukhna Lake from Wednesday afternoon.

After over 30 geese died under mysterious circumstances over the past 15 days, the UT had sent the sample of six dead birds for testing to the laboratory.Four more samples have been sent for investigation to the lab in Bhopal.

On confirmation that one of the samples had tested positive for avian flu, the Administration on Wednesday banned morning and evening walks at the lake, from Thursday onwards. “Though no alert has been issued by the Centre, we have banned the activities at the lake as a precautionary measure”, said KK Sharma, Adviser to the UT Administrator.

UT officials said on the basis of the communication between the (HSADL), Bhopal, and the Chandigarh-based northern region office of the Central Poultry Development Organisation, a high-level meeting of the department concerned was chaired by the UT Adviser.

As a precautionary measure, the UT Animal Husbandry Department has sounded an alert and put employees, who came in contact with the geese carcasses, on medication. Apart from suspending boating, rafting and other water-sports activities in the lake, the department has also banned visitor’s entry to the water body and all surviving geese have been restricted to a barbed enclosure on the lake island.

“At present, there is no assessment regarding any out break of bird flu in Chandigarh. The situation is however, being very closely monitored by the Government of India office concerned. The Chandigarh Administration is in constant contact with the officers dealing with the subject matter.  As an absolute precaution and to counter any kind of adverse conditions, the Chandigarh Administration has put in place following measures even though there is no alarm or alert issued to the general public. The Administration is constantly in touch with the Central Government officials and is fully prepared to handle any contingency should it arise. The public are requested not to panic and co-operate with the Administration at this stage”, said a spokesman of the Administration in a statement issued late in the evening.

Dr Lovelesh Kant Gupta, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry Department, claimed to have taken all preventive measures to prevent spreading of the virus to human beings. 

He said that a team of scientist from the RDDL had reached Chandigarh soon after the news of bird flu in the Sukhna Lake spread in the region. The team will start its operation tomorrow morning. A team of experts from the Disease Surveillance Department of the Union Health Ministry is also expected to reach here tomorrow.

He said that sufficient stock of medicines had also been arranged at the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, for suspected cases. Santosh Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden, said that the Animal Husbandry Department was handling the case as a nodal agency. Sources in the Wildlife Department, however, disclosed that trekking trips to the forest areas had also been suspended and the forest areas were being monitored closely.

Helpline

A control room has been established in the office of the Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Chandigarh Administration, with phone number 0172-270092, and mobile number 93575-26960 for any kind of information on the issue.

WHO guidelines once alert is issued

• As per the World Health Organisation guidelines on avian influenza, which spreads from birds to humans, the birds within a radius of 1 km (culling zone) of the epicenter of the disease have to be culled and disposed of scientfically. “The department will follow the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry on the culling operation,” said an Animal Husbandary Department official. 
• In case the samples of the poultry within a radius of 10 km (called buffer zone) test positive, then culling is to be extended to that zone. Also, sale of poultry is banned within the buffer zone. The entire city and peripheral areas of the neighbouring states will have to be covered.

Mohali admn alert

Mohali: Following the bird flu alert in Chandigarh, the Mohali administration has taken immediate steps to check the situation in the district. Mohali DC Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu said that he had called a high-level meeting of medical authorities on Thursday. “There is no need to panic, we have begun taking precautionary measures in this direction. Random examination of birds of poultry farms in the district will also take place in the coming days,” he said.