The Hindu : Karnataka News : Unhygienic conditions in poultry farms result in fly menace

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

Unhygienic conditions in poultry farms result in fly menace

Vishwa Kundapura

People of several villages have blamed the owners of the poultry farms for the problem

Houseflies breed in the waste dumped by the poultry farms
Owners accused of not taking steps to maintain cleanliness

CAUSING FOUL SMELL: Chicken excreta dumped near the Government High School at Annihalli in Kolar district and at right houseflies seen on a fence of a poultry farm.

KOLAR: Unhygienic conditions in two poultry farms at Byalahalli and Annihalli in Kolar taluk are causing a nuisance to residents of several surrounding villages.

People of Annihalli, Byalahalli, Mattikunte, Bestenahalli, Naduvanahalli and a few other villages are troubled by hordes of flies that breed in the waste from the poultry farms.

The villagers blame the owners of the farms for the problem.

Though the owners are reaping profit, they have not taken steps to ensure cleanliness on their farms.

Stench

The excreta of the chickens is not disposed of properly, resulting in a stench that hangs in the air and the breeding of flies.

Houseflies are seen all over the place in the surrounding villages.

Houses, trees and buildings are full of them. People are finding it difficult to eat because of the fly menace.

The fliess swoop on food. Students have to constantly ward off flies while trying to eat their midday meal at school.

“It is hard for us to eat food under such circumstances,” grumbled Praveen, a student of the Government Primary School, Byalahalli.

The owner of one of the poultry farms has left a mound of chicken excreta in an open place, unmindful of the presence of a school and hostel nearby.

Despite repeated appeals to the owner of the farm, there has been no improvement in the situation, Narasimhaiah, headmaster of the Government High School, Annihalli, told The Hindu.

Shobha, medical officer at the Primary Health Centre, acknowledged that houseflies were thriving and that there was a stench emanating from the farms.

However, there were no health problems because of this in the area, she said.

Warning

The farm owners had been warned, and they had initiated corrective measures, Dr. Shobha added.

Notwithstanding this assurance and worried about the outbreak of diseases because of the unhygienic conditions, the villagers have demanded the shifting or closure of the poultry farms.

The villagers also staged an agitation in front of the deputy commissioner’s office recently in support of their demand.

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