DAHD Partners with NDDB to Upgrade Biocontainment Facility at CCSNIAH

New Delhi: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, has signed an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to upgrade the Biocontainment Facility and undertake associated repair works at the Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Animal Health (CCSNAIH) in Baghpat. The agreement, signed in the presence of Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, earmarks an estimated budget of Rs. 160 Crores for the project, which is expected to be completed within 20 months.

The signing ceremony witnessed the presence of senior officers from DAHD, CCSNAIH, and NDDB, underscoring the collaborative effort to enhance the capabilities of CCSNAIH. Established as an apex laboratory, CCSNAIH plays a crucial role in the quality assessment of veterinary vaccines and diagnostics in India. Commissioned in 2010, the facility has been recognized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a Central Drugs Laboratory for Quality Control Testing of Veterinary Biologicals, including Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) and Ranikhet Disease (RD).

Given the rapid advancements in technology and evolving safety standards, the upgrade aims to ensure compliance with the Department of Biotechnology’s guidelines and achieve certification necessary for operating such high-security laboratories. This initiative is poised to meet the challenges of livestock health and align with bio-safety and bio-security standards set by national and international organizations.

Objectives and Benefits:

The upgrade at CCSNAIH aims to achieve multifaceted objectives:

1. Veterinary Services: Enhance veterinary services at both national and international levels.
2. Quality Control: Improve quality control testing of veterinary biologicals, focusing on vaccine efficacy and safety.
3. Livestock Health Programs: Assist in livestock health programs and research and development in prophylaxis and diagnosis.
4. Collaboration Platform: Establish a state-of-the-art Animal House Containment Facility for contract and collaborative research in therapeutics and vaccine research.

The upgraded facility is expected to provide several advantages:

• Compliance: Adherence to the latest guidelines from the Department of Biotechnology for laboratory certification and validation, achieving complete Central Drugs Laboratory status from the DCGI.
• Unique Capabilities: Position CCSNAIH as the only institute in the country capable of experimentation with large and small animals under containment conditions.
• Preparedness: Enhance preparedness for emerging livestock health challenges such as Lumpy Skin Disease, Avian Influenza, and Glanders Disease.
• Self-Sustenance: Revamped revenue generation model through vaccine testing, animal experimentation, training, capacity building, and catering to quality control needs of government and non-government agencies.
• Premier Institute: Serve as the premier institute for outbreak investigation and pandemic preparedness under the National One Health Mission.
• Collaboration Opportunities: Foster higher opportunities for national and international collaborations.

The project has been awarded to NDDB, a statutory body under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, known for its specialized division dedicated to the construction and maintenance of biocontainment facilities. NDDB has a proven track record, having executed several biocontainment lab projects across the country, including the ICAR-National Institute of Foot & Mouth Disease in Bhubaneswar and the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease Facility in Bhopal.