The Hindu : Front Page : 20 lakh birds to be culled in a week

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Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
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20 lakh birds to be culled in a week

Special Correspondent

Number of culling teams is being raised to around 400

KOLKATA: Faced with the prospect of the bird flu spreading to more areas, the West Bengal government has decided to cull 20 lakh poultry birds in a week. The earlier target was four lakhs. The five-fold increase is an indication of the magnitude of the disease. More than two lakh birds have been killed since the outbreak, that has so far hit six districts.

Culling operations were being intensified and it had been decided that an average of three lakh chickens would be destroyed each day, Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra said here on Monday. The faster the culling operations, the quicker the eradication of the disease, he said.

No human infection

There were no reports of the virus affecting humans and round-the-clock vigil was being maintained, said Dr. Mishra who reviewed the situation with Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi.

The number of culling teams was being raised to around 400. However, the administration, whose resources were already stretched, was finding it difficult to provide each team with a veterinary officer, a senior official told The Hindu.

Experts called in

The services of 100 experts were being requisitioned from Assam to assist in the culling operations. The Orissa government too offered to send a team if required.

The number of blocks from where bird flu was reported had risen to 24 across the six districts of Birbhum, South Dinajpur, Bankura, Murshidabad, Burdwan and Nadia, besides the four municipality areas. More than a lakh poultry birds had died of the disease.

The Centre was informed of the progress in culling operations and it appreciated the efforts of the State Government, Dr. Mishra said. It assured the State of all financial assistance, he added.

After the initial reluctance shown by some sections of the people to hand over poultry birds from their farms for culling, there was evidence of greater awareness among them.

“They are now cooperating with the visiting teams,” Anisur Rahaman, Minister for Animal Resources Development, said.

Alert in place

The general alert across the State remained in place and police had been instructed to ensure that poultry birds from areas notified as being affected were not smuggled out.

The Border Security Force had been asked to step up vigil to prevent the movement of poultry birds and products across the border with Bangladesh.

Slump in sale

Reports of a slump in the sale of chicken and eggs were pouring in from across the State. Sale in chicken and poultry products has been prohibited for three months in affected areas.

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