Srinagar, Dec 7: Kashmir’s food safety claims have come under sharp scrutiny after 119 dead chickens were found in a freshly certified poultry consignment, triggering outrage and raising serious concerns about the functioning of livestock inspection and monitoring authorities.
The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon when Animal Rescue Kashmir (ARK), an animal rights organisation, noticed suspicious unloading of poultry at Aluchi Bagh Bund. The truck had been cleared just hours earlier by the Animal Husbandry Department’s Livestock Check Post and Quarantine Center at Zig-Lower Munda, Qazigund.
Certified “100% Healthy”—But 119 Found Dead
A certificate issued by the on-duty Veterinary Assistant Surgeon declared that all 2700 poultry birds were “alive, healthy, and showing no symptoms of disease.”
However, ARK volunteers discovered a large number of carcasses piled inside the same consignment soon after.
“When we questioned the handlers, they denied any mortality and showed us the clean certificate. But on inspection, we found dozens of dead birds,” ARK Director Dawood Muhammad said.
The group immediately alerted both the Food Safety Department and the Animal Husbandry Department.
Officials Claim Delay, Weather Behind Deaths
Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Dar, Officer Incharge of the checkpost, insisted that there was “no mortality” when the consignment was screened at Zig.
He said the birds were originally headed to Pulwama, but the dealer there refused to accept the shipment.
“The truck was then diverted to Srinagar. A delay of several hours in unloading—combined with cold conditions—may have caused hypothermia and starvation,” Dr. Dar claimed, calling it “natural mortality.”
He added that the truck was later intercepted again at Qazigund for postmortem sampling.
Certificate Lacked Traceability, Origin Unknown
Greater scrutiny has intensified concerns about Kashmir’s livestock movement oversight:
- The certificate carried no receipt number
- No source farm was listed
- Only the word “Punjab” appeared as origin
- The batch lacked traceability markers now mandated under J&K Food Safety directives
Under new regulations, all poultry consignments must carry:
- Farm identification
- Batch and lot numbers
- Veterinary health certificates
- Digital traceability details
This consignment had none.
Questions of Negligence and Oversight
The discovery of dead birds in a supposedly “healthy” consignment has triggered public concern over:
- Accuracy of livestock inspections
- Possibility of compromised certification
- Risk of contaminated poultry entering the food chain
- Accountability of officials at checkposts
Activists allege this reflects “systemic negligence, not an isolated oversight.”
A Wake-Up Call for Kashmir’s Food Safety Framework
The incident has ignited debate over the reliability of livestock certificates and the potential health risks posed by improperly monitored poultry shipments.
As postmortem reports are awaited, questions remain:
How did 119 birds die between inspection and unloading—and why did the certificate fail to reflect the reality?
