CHITRAL: The district zoonotic control committee has urged the local administration to establish a separate poultry market in the city and shift the existing shops there to curb outbreak of zoonotic diseases.

Speaking at the monthly meeting here the other day, DZCC members said that poultry shops were haphazardly located alongside confectionary shops, restaurants and fruit shops, posing serious health hazard to citizens.

District health officer Dr Israrullah chaired the meeting.

Presenting his survey report of poultry shops in the city, veterinary officer Dr Shiekh Ahmed said that 80 per cent of shops were located adjacent to food shops, and more were being opened due to high margin of profit in the business. He said that poultry shops lacked proper system of disposing of waste.

Mr Ahmed suggested that establishment of a separate poultry market would not only be hygienically maintained, but would also help check the increasing prices of chicken.

DZCC, constituted by NGO Relief International as part of its efforts to fight zoonosis, and consisting of all the stakeholders, reviews measures for checking zoonotic diseases in Chitral on monthly basis.

On the occasion, NGO’s district project manager Dr Mohammad Tayyab said that the matter would be taken up with Malakand division commissioner and Chitral deputy commissioner to curb the potential threat of zoonotic diseases.

The meeting criticised the food department for failure to check the sale of spurious meat and substandard food stuffs in the market which could cause zoonotic diseases.

Published in Dawn, October 15th , 2014