VIJAYAWADA: The municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) department has directed all commissioners of municipalities and corporations to take measures to ensure proper disposal of poultry offal and animal slaughterhouse wastes as some aquaculture farmers were found to be using such wastes to feed the fish. Other departments such as fisheries and transport were asked by the state government to keep a strict vigil on such activities, which not only have adverse impact on biodiversity but also on ‘Brand Andhra’.
Although the government had issued an order in November, 2016, banning the feeding of fish with poultry offal and other slaughterhouse wastes, a series of surprise raids by Vigilance and Enforcement department in 2019 and 2020 showed that offal usage as fish feed was prevalent in coastal districts, particularly in East Godavari.
The officials said that some people were procuring wastes from meat and chicken shops and slaughterhouses and were illegally transporting them within the State and from neighbouring States like Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. Some farmers were said to be using them in catfish and jellyfish cultivation for faster growth of fish.
Besides polluting water, soil and endangering the health of the people, it is also resulting in adverse publicity about fish production in the State and ‘brand AP’, the officials said. The vigilance department recommended that three departments — MAUD, fisheries and transport — to work together to curb the menace. Following MAUD special chief secretary Y Srilakshmi’s instructions, commissioner and director MM Nayak issued directions to the municipal commissioners.