Culling at the poultry farm hit by bird flu at Molkera in Humnabad of Bidar district, which was to start on Monday, was put off by a day because of rain and lack of adequate culling kits and safety gear. A team from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, New Delhi, reached Humnabad only on Monday evening to oversee the process.
The operations are expected to begin on Tuesday morning in the private farm, where 23,000 birds were found to be infected with Avian Influenza (H5N1).
Officials say the culling process will last three days — culling on the first day, disposing of the carcass in large pits on the second day, and fogging and cleaning on the third.
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Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tewari visited Molkera and said he had issued orders prohibiting the sale and transport of chicken within 10 km of the epicentre of the infected farm. Orders have also been issued banning the sale and consumption of chicken and eggs in Humnabad taluk for a week.
He also said teams had been deputed at the border of Telangana and Maharashtra to check the transport of birds.
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Giving details of the culling process, an official said around 50 doctors and 200 workers will be involved in the operation. “They will change their protective gear every few hours and burn used ones. We had sent an indent for 2,000 personal protection kits. Half of them have arrived, and the rest should reach by midnight,” a senior officer said.
“Heavy rain disrupted the preparations for over two hours. Earthmovers could not be operated to dig pits, so it had to be put off to Tuesday morning,” the official said.
“A proposal to airlift material to the Bidar Air Base or Hyderabad airport was also considered. But clearing and forwarding agents and cargo companies in Hyderabad said it would take 24 hours to deliver them. They are being brought by road,” said an official.