| Introduction: Context to the question Body: Highlight environmental, legal concerns of poultry industry. Conclusion: Way forward |
India’s poultry industry is a booming sector, but its rapid growth comes with a hefty environmental and legal price tag with the recent H5N1 outbreak.
Environmental Concerns
- Waste Management: Extensive chicken raising generates a lot of manure, which is frequently mishandled when it comes to storage and disposal. As a result, ammonia emissions and nitrate leaching pollute the air and water, respectively.
- Antibiotic Resistance: An enormous risk to public health is posed by the abuse of antibiotics in chicken farming, which is done in an attempt to contain disease outbreaks.
- Biodiversity Loss: Habitat degradation and deforestation brought on by large chicken farms can have an adverse effect on regional ecosystems.
Legal Issues
- Animal Welfare: There are concerns regarding the use of growth hormones in chicken farming, crowded living circumstances, and beak clipping, all of which may constitute violations of animal welfare laws. Moreover, the intensive confinement of animals in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions violates animal welfare laws, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.
- Biosecurity: Inadequate biosecurity protocols may allow diseases such as avian influenza to proliferate, affecting not only the populations of wild birds but also poultry farms.
- Labour Violations: The chicken business frequently uses migrant labour, and there have been complaints about unfavourable working conditions, low pay, and a lack of safety precautions.
Need for Stringent Regulations
- Animal Welfare Standards: The 269th Law Commission of India Report in 2017 emphasized that improving living conditions to be more open, cleaner, and ventilated could reduce the need for continuous antibiotic use in animals, thus enhancing the safety of their eggs and meat for consumption.
- Environmental Regulations: It is imperative that the current environmental regulations pertaining to antibiotic usage and waste management be strictly enforced. It is essential to invest in sustainable manure management techniques and greener technologies.
- Labour Laws: It is possible to safeguard workers’ rights and guarantee fair treatment by strengthening the implementation of current labour regulations and closely observing working conditions in chicken farms.
Conclusion
India’s poultry industry is crucial for food security, yet its current methods are not sustainable. It requires strict regulations that prioritize environmental protection, animal welfare, biosecurity, and fair labour practices. By embracing a more responsible approach like One Health principle, the industry can secure its future while reducing its adverse effects on the environment and society.
