The sight of 119 lifeless chickens being unloaded in Srinagar is not just a disturbing episode; it is a damning indictment of a system that has failed its people time and again. This is not the first time the poultry supply chain has been exposed for its negligence, and yet, the lessons of the past remain unlearned. What unfolded recently is not merely about dead birds; it is about broken trust, compromised health and the betrayal of citizens who spend their hard-earned money believing the food on their table is safe.
Animal Husbandry Department, entrusted with the responsibility of regulating poultry farms, ensuring vaccination, surveillance, and disease testing, has once again been caught asleep at the wheel. Its mandate is clear: safeguard the health of poultry and, by extension, the health of the people. Yet, the very truck that carried these dead chickens into Srinagar bore a health certificate issued by this department. This is not just negligence—it is a scandal. A certificate that does not reflect reality is worse than no certificate at all; it is a false assurance that endangers lives.
The absence of standard operating procedures for poultry transport is a glaring loophole that has been ignored for far too long. How long can birds be kept in transit? How should they be fed? How should temperature and ventilation be controlled? These are basic questions, yet they remain unanswered. Instead, poultry is crammed into filthy cages, stacked in trucks without hygiene or humane care, creating a breeding ground for disease and death. This is not just cruelty to animals—it is a direct threat to public health.
Food Safety Department, though proactive in regulating meat storage after slaughter, has no jurisdiction over what happens before. Dealers, stockists and sellers operate unchecked, with no monitoring of how poultry is raised, transported, or delivered. This fragmented responsibility between departments has created a dangerous vacuum where accountability disappears. And in that vacuum, unsafe practices thrive.
For the people of Kashmir, poultry is not a luxury; it is a staple. Families already struggling with rising costs cannot afford to have their trust shattered. Every rupee spent on chicken is an act of faith in the system, a belief that the food they buy will nourish, not harm. When that faith is betrayed, it is not just money lost; it is dignity, health and security stolen.
This incident must be treated as a turning point. Are protocols being followed? No. Are departments doing their job? No. Are lessons from past failures being applied? Absolutely not. What is needed now is not another round of empty assurances but a complete overhaul of the poultry supply chain. Strict SoPs must be enforced for transportation. Health certificates must be backed by real inspections, not rubber stamps. Dealers and sellers must be brought under regulatory oversight. Violations must be punished swiftly and publicly, so that deterrence is real.
The people of Kashmir deserve better. They deserve transparency in the food supply chain. They deserve accountability from the departments meant to protect them. They deserve to know that when they buy chicken for their families, they are not buying disease, death or deception.
If authorities fail to act decisively now, they will be complicit in the next disaster. Food safety is not negotiable. Public health is not expendable. Trust is not replaceable. It is time for the government and its departments to prove that they value the lives of the people more than the convenience of paperwork. Anything less would be unforgivable.