Vendors selling chicken, eggs rendered jobless

Our Correspondent

NURPUR, JANUARY 7

After going through economic hardships in the wake of Covid19 pandemic, hundreds of poor vendors running dhabas, kiosks and rehris selling chicken, eggs, fish and mutton in Fatehpur, Jawali, Indora and Dehra subdivisions in Kangra district have been rendered jobless after the outbreak of avian flu (H5N1) in the Pong wetland wildlife sanctuary.

The district administration has imposed a ban on the sale of poultry products, fish and other such food items in these sub divisions to prevent spread of avian flu in the livestock as well as humans. The enforcement of the ban has rendered hundreds of vendors jobless. They have lost their source of earning for the time being. The entrepreneurs running hatcheries in lower Kangra district are apprehending losing their livelihood.

Ajay Kumar, Manoj, Joginder and Chaman, who had been running fish food units at Khatiyar, said earlier they had kept their vends closed during Covid pandemic lockdown. Then they had to close business during fish breeding season in June and July last year. “Now when roaring fish sale had started avian flu had again rendered them jobless,” they rued.

Shamsher Singh, a resident of Kotla in Jawali who was running his dhaba for selling chicken, eggs and fish lamented that he had no other source of earning and now after avian flu ban it had become difficult to sustain his family. Similar is the situation is of Hari Ram of Nagrota Surian, Dev Raj of Dehra, Raj Kumar of Rehan.

As many as 16 fishery cooperative societies comprising as many as 2,800 fishermen have been engaged in fishing in the Pong wetland but after avian flu breakout their livelihood is at stake.

Fishermen have appealed to the Chief Minister to release compensation to the affected fishermen as they were in financial distress after fishing ban in the wetland.