Bird flu affects badminton

The bird flu epidemic, which resulted in the culling of millions of chickens in the West Bengal, has severely affected the game of Shuttle Cock industry, and consequently the game of badminton.

Kolkata, Feb19 : The bird flu epidemic, which resulted in the culling of millions of chickens in the West Bengal, has severely affected the game of "Shuttle Cock" industry, and consequently the game of badminton.

Jadurberia Village, popularly known as Shuttle Cock village in Uluberia area of West Bengal's Howrah District, accommodates about 200 factories producing shuttle cocks from goose feathers.

Large scale culling of birds has been a major setback for these factory owners and employees. The owners of this small scale industry in this village are facing scarcity in supply of raw material which is goose feather.

It is feared that the 60 year old industry that today employs about 6,000 people would face a shutdown if the government delayed to lift the ban on buying and selling of poultry birds. It is obvious that the dependents of these people will also suffer.

After the large scale culling of poultry birds across West Bengal, owners of this small scale Shuttle industry fear scarcity of feather as the most likely repercussion on the supply of raw material (goose feather).

Despite having spent three decades in the shuttle cock business, Nimai Maity is today a worried man. He is fearful as how will the business survive if the supply was affected at a big scale.

Nimai Maity, a factory owner, said: "We make shuttle cocks from goose feather. Goose too has come under Bird Flu problem and the supply of feather has also come down. Though we have sufficient stock and we are using that stock for current production and we are still supplying. But if the problem lingers, it is truly a matter of concern."

"We still have stock of raw material and the production is on. However, we fear if bird flu virus continues to spread and culling of poultry birds goes on, it would be difficult to run the factory," he added.

Uttam Pal, one of the workers, said: "Right now we are not facing any problem, as we have feathers in stock. But if Bird Flu continues and goose feather stops coming in then the business would face a shutdown."

The economic fall out could be more in this village than those who lost their birds.

Although the people having lost their birds during culling have received government compensation, there is no one to compensate them if he industry faces a shutdown, say villagers.

ANI