Report No. 269
C. Legal provisions regulating the transport of animals:
2.15 The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as "the FSSR") [Notification - F.No. 2-15015/30/2010 dated 01.02.2011] has been framed under section 92(2)(o) read with section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as "the FSSA"). The FSSR lays down certain guidelines for the Pre-Slaughter Handling of Animals especially with respect to the transport of animals.
The guidelines contained in Part IV Rule 6.4 (a)(1) provide, inter alia, - Only healthy animals in good condition after verification and certification by a qualified veterinary inspector would be transported; transportation of Animals from endemic areas of a disease to non-endemic areas with a provision for protective vaccination and quarantine for 30 days, before further transportation, would be necessary; female animals in advanced stages of pregnancy would not be transported; all animals must be treated humanely and sufficient space to stand or lie must be provided while being transported; light feeding, watering facilities must be provided at regular intervals along with an attendant handling first aid and loading during extreme temperatures must be avoided; Inspection for safety, such as, checking for undamaged floors, walls, ensuring suitability such as covering to avoid weather conditions etc, before loading the animals is mandatory.
2.16 Transport of Animal Rules, 1978 ('Rules of 1978'): Chapter VII of the Rules of 1978 (included through the amendment of 2001) specifically deals with transport of poultry. The Rules of 1978 provide the following-
(i) Rule 79(a) lays down only birds in healthy and good conditions, examined and certified for fitness by a veterinary doctor, shall be transported.
(ii) Rule 79(c) and (d) lays down that the birds being transported shall be fed and watered before being placed in containers for transportion, and arrangements shall be made to feed and water them during transportation, with watering ensured every 6 hours.
(iii) Rule 80 lays down that in case of road travel, containers shall not be placed one a-top another and shall be covered properly in order to provide light, ventilation and to protect from rain, heat and cold air.
(iv) Rule 81 lays down that in case of rail travel, consignment on journey for over 12 hours to be accompanied by an attendant. Adequate facilities for ventilation and protection for exposure to weather shall be made, and no other merchandise (which may result in mortality of the birds) shall be transported in the same wagon.
(v) Rule 82 lays down in case of air travel, the containers carrying poultry shall be kept near the doors and unloaded immediately upon arrival.
(vi) Rule 83 lays down specifications for containers- dimensions of containers for month old chicks, 3 month old chicks and adult stock, Geese and Turkeys, Chicks and Poultry and birds per container. It also lays down special requirement for containers for chicks and poults, such as prohibition on use of wire mesh or net as bottom for container, properly secured to vehicle, properly labelled, continually transported for no more than 6 hours, transportation cannot be stationary for longer than 30 minutes and provision of fire extinguishers in transport vehicles.
2.17 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways vide Notification No. G.S.R. 546 (E) Dated 8th July, 2015 amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, by Central Motor Vehicles (Eleventh Amendment) Rules, 2015 and added Rule 125E, which provides that the motor vehicles for carrying animals shall have permanent partitions in the body of the vehicle so that the animals are carried individually in each partition where the size of the partition in case of poultry shall not be less than 40 cm sq. The space provided however does not conform to the international standards for the same.
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