Culling operations began in a private poultry farm near Humnabad in Bidar district where bird flu was detected two days ago. Officers entered the farm at around 3 p.m. They are saying it will be midnight before the operation ends.
Culling was supposed to start at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. However, it was delayed as a medical check-up of individual workers consumed over four hours and removing water from burial pits and digging of new pits went on till 2 p.m.
Officials began emptying the pits on the ground that were filled with water after yesterday’s rain. Six earthmovers are digging pits inside the 14-acre Arunodaya farm. Eight to ten pits of 40 ft. length, six ft. width and six ft. depth will be dug in the farm. Each pit will be filled with around 15,000 chicken loaded into 300 bags, an officer said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The district has received 2,000 Personal Protection Kits (PPTs) for workers to wear during culling.
A team of community medicine department officers from the Central government headed by Naveen Gupta visited Molkera and surrounding villages. They are creating awareness among the villagers about bird flu, how to avoid infections and the suggested cure for the symptoms.
Dr. Gupta and his team trained veterinary officials in culling. They screened each of the 300 people who would be involved in the operation. They include 50 veterinarians, 200 staff and 50 skilled labourers.
ADVERTISEMENT
A team of scientists led by S.M. Byregowda, Director, Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, and Syed Ahmed, Director, Animal Husbandry Department, arrived in the morning. C. Renuka Prasad, Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Veterinary, Animal, and Fisheries Sciences University, was present.
Joint Director of Animal Husbandry S.S. Jambigi is supervising the operations.