Valley to have live bird market

SANJEEV GIRI
KATHMANDU, AUG 11

Nepal is likely to get its first well-managed bird market by the end of the current fiscal year. An agreement to this effect has been signed between Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) to build a live bird market (LBM) in Kathmandu.

According to sources, the market is going to be built near Hyumat, Kalimati at an estimated cost of

Rs. 2.22 million.

KMC is planning to call for proposals from interested private parties for the construction of infrastructure required for the operation of the LBM after the government allocates the required budget.

Dr. Baburam Gautam, chief of the Public Health Division at KMC, said, “The live bird market has been planned to discourage the business being carried out on the streets. It will

also help to contain diseases like bird flu resulting from the consumption of low quality bird meat.”

According to Gautam, KMC will be responsible for provision of the site and model, site preparation and earthwork, management of vendors, participation in training and advocacy to reduce the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and management and supervision of the LBM as per the agreement.

Also, the FAO will be responsible for the conceptual design of the LBM, awareness programmes on HPAI risk reduction, funding for the LBM building and assisting the Department of Livestock Services to train KMC market inspectors and market vendors for the project.

The LBM will draw a major part of its investment from the FAO. Of the Rs. 2.22 million to be spent on the project, the FAO will pay Rs 1.64 million while KMC will contribute Rs. 600,000. KMC has already received the first instalment of the funds from the FAO.

According to Gautam, the market will have facilities of clean water, neat

and clean toilets and

freezers. He said that the KMC would also assign doctors to inspect birds in the market which will have six stalls for both wholesale and retail trading.