This delay could have been avoided if the state government had not been sitting for nine months on a project to upgrade the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL) at Belgachia to the level of HSADL — the country’s only bio safety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory.

In March last year, the Union and the state government’s decided to upgrade RDDL to the level HSADL. Under the plan, RDDL is to get specialised equipment and raised to BSL3, which includes environment-controlled airtight and quarantined facilities to test for viruses and prevent any human infection.

In May, representatives of the World Health Organisation and Union agriculture ministry visited Kolkata and inspected the Belgachia lab. The team reported back to the ministry, which agreed to shell out Rs 4 crore for the project. But nothing has been done so far.

“I know there has been a delay in the project. But now it is our priority. A hi-tech laboratory here will not only save vital time, but will cater to all states in eastern India,” said Anisur Rehman, the minister for animal resource development (ARD).

He added, “At present, it takes three to four days for the samples to be sent to Bhopal and the report to come to us, which is a drawback as the flu spreads rapidly.”

RDDL with its archaic facilities is at the apex of the state government’s organisations to carry out tests for such diseases, and can only handle anthrax, PPR and tuberculosis.