Report – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar Fresh concerns have been raised over Kashmir’s livestock inspection and food safety systems after 119 dead chickens were discovered in a poultry consignment that had reportedly been certified as entirely healthy just hours earlier, a media report said.

The incident, as reported by Greater Kashmir, surfaced on Sunday when volunteers of the animal rights group Animal Rescue Kashmir (ARK) noticed a truck being unloaded under suspicious circumstances at the Aluchi Bagh Bund in Srinagar. When questioned, the handlers allegedly cited a health certificate issued by the Animal Husbandry Department at the Zig–Lower Munda Livestock Check Post in Qazigund, Anantnag.

The certificate, as per the report, stated that all 2700 birds were “healthy”, with no sick or dead birds detected during inspection. The document, signed by a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at the checkpost, confirmed that the stock was cleared for entry into Kashmir with no visible signs of contagious disease.

However, ARK volunteers, upon inspecting the truck themselves, allegedly found dozens of dead birds. The group’s director, Dawood Muhammad said that the discovery was immediately reported to the Food Safety Department, with Animal Husbandry officials also being informed.

As per the report, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Dar, who is in charge of the Zig checkpost and serves as Liver Flu Officer, Kashmir, maintained that no mortality had been observed at the time of inspection. He suggested that the deaths may have occurred later, after the consignment’s intended dealer in Pulwama refused to accept the stock, leading to delays as the truck was diverted to Srinagar.

Dr Dar further informed that the truck was later intercepted at Qazigund on its return journey, where samples were taken for postmortem examination. Preliminary indications pointed to starvation and hypothermia as possible causes of death.

The report also noted discrepancies in the paperwork accompanying the consignment. The truck reportedly carried no receipt, and the origin of the poultry could not be traced beyond the single word “Punjab” mentioned on the certificate, falling short of the traceability norms recently mandated by the J&K Food Safety Department. These require high-risk consignments, including poultry, to carry batch and lot numbers linked to the source farm and supported by valid veterinary health documentation.