The Goa Government stated they did not wish to cause panic in Goans saying there was no cause for concern. Actually, panic is caused because of the lackadaisical/incompetency of the Goa Government which is well known. They tried to console us that the virus is restricted to only 1 district in Kerala. We all know that tender coconuts are widely sold in Goa and that the same come from outside Goa. Advisory says not to consume toddy which means the bats do sit on coconut trees. Did the Government stop imports of these nuts from Kerala? Did they destroy those that are already in Goa: given that the dormant period of the virus is 18 days?
Are the measures restricted to only secondary level? What is being done on the primary level? What is the animal husbandry department doing?
In a recent survey of new patents in chemical environment pollution/recovery of metals there are over 30 from China with only one from India!
Increasingly we see these zoonotic viruses crossing the animal-human barrier. Research is required in this area where there is none in India. Lay people like us can surmise that the problem could be high population of birds causing imbalance in nature. Poultry business runs without regulation-again high population of businesses with not enough people to ensure laws are implemented. This gives rise to more birds than demand. Similarly, monopolisation of the industry by few companies again raises the bird to worker ratio which can increase the chances of virus transmission.
One concern where there are nil efforts in containing the population is that of pigeons. In Goa alone, large uncontrolled in migration coupled with mega buildings inhabited by people who while away their time feeding pigeons has resulted in an exponential rise in the bird’s population. This has reduced the population of local birds and can increase the chances of at least transfer of viruses such as the nipah if not causing more animal to human crossing. Even today, Pigeon droppings cause respiratory diseases and there is need to control their population. Newspaper reports has said there is a sharp increase in respiratory allergies in Goa.
The Government is bent on implementing PDA’s in villages which means setting up more buildings and more pigeons: where are the responsibilities that go with this? The net is rife with other Countries tackling the same: in Goa there is nothing! It is time the Ministers inform us of their responsibilities: not just their ‘development’ plans.
