The Hindu : Front Page : West Bengal set to complete culling

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Sunday, Feb 03, 2008
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West Bengal set to complete culling

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: With 29.4-lakh chickens already culled, West Bengal is set to complete its programme of culling 30-lakh chicken as part of an operation to combat avian influenza which had broken out in the State.

West Bengal Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman, who was overseeing the operations at a remote village in Murshidabad district, told The Hindu that the situation was improving and now under control with only 136 poultry bird deaths being reported from all over the State on Saturday. “This is normal,” he said adding that he had not received reports of any new areas getting affected until now.

Rehabilitation

He said that 13 of the 19 districts involving 45 blocks (out of a total of 342) and five municipalities (out of 125) were affected. Mr. Rahaman said the emphasis would now shift to conducting mopping operations on the one hand and launching a plan to restore the trade and livelihood of the people engaged in the industry, on the other.

“Only five per cent of the birds have been culled and the rest 95 per cent, belonging to the organised industry are there … we have to find quick means of resuming normality in the poultry industry and protecting livelihoods,” he said.

The Minister said he had spoken to the Central Livestock Commissioner asking him to find the reasons behind the outbreak so as to prevent a recurrence.

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