Since Avian Influenza was first detected
in India in Navapur/Uchchhal on 18th February 2006, more than 11,700
samples from the country have been tested at High Security Disease Laboratory
(HSADL), Bhopal in the succeeding five weeks till 25th March 2006.
Avian Influenza was further notified
only in four villages of Jalgaon District on 14th March on basis
of four samples that tested positive.
Surveillance was greatly stepped
up in Jalgaon District and the adjoining area of Burhanpur district in Madhya
Pradesh as the outbreak was detected in backyard poultry and also because
of the report of death of poultry from some of these areas. 96 samples were
collected from 13 talukas from 15th to 18th March 2006
and were rushed to HSADL, Bhopal.
8 samples in all from the above have
tested positive as per the testing protocol prescribed for Avian Influenza.
Of these, 7 samples were from six villages of the same district, i.e.
Jalgaon and one sample from Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Of these two samples are from two
talukas of Chopda and Dharangaon where Avian Influenza was notified on 14th
March and containment operations had been taken up. The other samples are
from adjoining talukas of Bhadgaon, Erandol and Parola in Jalgaon District
and Burhanpur taluka (Ichhapur village) of Madhya Pradesh. Ichhapur is about
3 kilometers only from Maharashtra border i.e. Raver Taluka in which taluka
also Avian Influenza was notified on 14th March 2006.
The details of these
villages/talukas are as under:
1. Village Varad, Taluka Chopda, District Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
2. Village Paldhi Khurd, Taluka Dharangaon, District Jalgaon,
Maharashtra
3. Village Bhadgaon, Taluka Bhadgaon, District Jalgaon, Maharashtra
4. Village Parola, Taluka Parola , District Jalgaon, Maharashtra
Village Erandol, Taluka Erandol ,
District Jalgaon, Maharashtra
6. Village Uttaran, Taluka Erandol, District Jalgaon, Maharashtra
7. Village Ichhapur, Taluka Burhanpur, District Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Control and containment operations will be initiated in these areas. Birds
within a radius of 10 km. from each of the above seven villages will be culled.
The necessary operations will commence tomorrow.
Further surveillance of the concerned area is under way.
The Government and Reserve Bank of
India have announced the following reliefs to the Poultry Industry throughout
the country which is passing through a severe crisis in the wake of outbreak
of Avian Influenza in limited part of the country:
(i) A one-time reduction of four percentage points in the interest
payment liability on the bank loans of all types taken by the poultry units.
This amount will be directly credited to the accounts.
(ii) A moratorium of one year on payment of principal and interest
due to all banks in respect of all loans to poultry industry.
(iii) Conversion of working capital into term loan payable over three
years.
(iv) Reschedulement of term loans availed by poultry units over an
additional period of two years from the agreed tenure of the loan.
(v) Sanction of
additional working capital.
(vi) Barring wilful default, defaulted accounts not to be treated
as NPAs.
AK/AMT/SAK
(Release ID :16835)