In battery cages, egg-laying hens are suffocated, debeaked and injected with antibiotics. They also suffer from various diseases. Their only hope lies with the Delhi High Court, which will be hearing a case to frame rules to humanise their living conditions
THE EGG-laying hen is the most abused animal in India. From birth to death, these animals live in cages smaller than an A-4 size piece of paper. They don’t get to spread their wings, perch or exhibit any form of natural behaviour. Their lives are spent in these “battery cages”. These cages give the birds no room to move and they are stacked on top of one another. This heart-wrenching cruelty formed the basis of four public interest petitions, which were filed in the High Courts of Mumbai, Allahabad, Chandigarh and Telangana in 2014-15. These petitions sought the notification of Egg-Laying Hens Rules, 2012—formulated by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)—and called for a prohibition on the sale of eggs from “factory farms” which use these battery cages.
The cause of egg-laying hens found its way to the Supreme Court in July 2016 by way of a transfer petition, filed by the AWBI, seeking the hearing of these petitions by one forum. Moved by the shocking cruelty, the Supreme Court, on August 5, granted the transfer of the case to the Delhi High Court to “expedite the process of framing of the rules”. The case will be heard in December. This order marked the first step in India’s journey to secure the most basic protection to egg laying hens. The implementation of the rules will streamline litigation, and hopefully, accelerate the time taken to redress the wrongs that have been committed unchecked since time immemorial by the poultry industry.
Unchecked cruelty
This story is from the November 16, 2016 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 16, 2016 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
