Antibiotic mix in poultry litter, a serious eco threat

With Tamil Nadu being one of the few states that is known for its large poultry produce (around 15 per cent), especially in districts like Namakkal and Krishnagiri, the need for caution on the same is felt essential.

The study, conducted by the CSE has found that the antibiotic resistance is moving out of farms into agricultural fields through the unsafe disposal of poultry litter and waste in agricultural fields, which indirectly affects human beings.

Stating that only a small percentage of the antibiotics given to the chickens is absorbed by the tissues, Indumathi Nambi, Faculty, Department of Environment and Water Resources at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, said, “Most of the antibiotics come out along with the waste – poultry droppings from the chicken. When it is released into the environment, without any treatment, the antibiotics are also released, thereby affecting the environment. When it reaches a waterbody, the natural bacteria gets in contact with antibiotics and develops a resistance to it.”

“The water, when consumed, causes the human body to become resistant to the antibiotic. We all develop a natural resistance to antibiotics. It is a very grave situation as none of the antibiotics – including very strong ones – tends to work,” she added. The CSE report therefore recommended concrete action to limit antibiotic misuse in the poultry sector and urged the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Central Pollution Control Board to come out with standards and guidelines for waste management from the poultry industry to limit the spread of antibiotic resistance into the environment.

A study has revealed the dangers of misuse of antibiotics in poultry farms and how this is leading to rapid reproduction of bacteria, which in turn, is causing harm to the environment and also spreading in groundwater.

Commenting on this, AP Ravindran, of the Farmers’ Association said, “The growth of the poultry has to be gradual. However, owing to the high demand for its produce, poultry farmers try to force their growth.” 

However, poultry farmers said they have their own reasons for fast-tracking production.

“We have been using antibiotics for many years now. At a time when the demand for chicken is drastically increasing, who would wait for 90 days for the systematic growth of a hen?

It is done in less than 45 days through antibiotics,” said C Munuswamy, who owns a poultry farm in Vellore. He also admitted that none of the officials had inspected the farm to check on the usage.

Conceding that the time to act was now, Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, “We now have a National Action Plan (NAP) on Antibiotic Resistance. The NAP addresses the issue of misuse of antibiotics in poultry farms as well restricting the spread of resistance in the environment. The NAP must be properly supported and funded by the Union government.

The bottom-line is that we must eliminate the use of antibiotics as growth promoter in the poultry industry. Antibiotics should be used as a last resort to control the disease. This is the only way we can reduce the creation and spread of antibiotics resistance.” He also added that a meeting was recently held to introduce a State Action plan on antibiotics.

Awareness is slowly growing in the country, he added. Four states have been called for a meeting to discuss this. Tamil Nadu may be called in the next stage.