Bird flu alert in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 20: Following information of death of about two hundred chickens a team of Animal Resources Development department officials led by deputy director Dr Tapan Kumar Roy visited Jaridharla and Daribash villages in Dinhata sub-division today. The area is very near from the Indo-Bangladesh border. The ARD team collected samples of dead chickens and blood and swab samples from living ones of the locality. These are being sent for test to Belgachhia in Kolkata, Dr Roy said.

 

Observing the symptoms it was suspected that the chickens might have died of Ranikhet disease that is not unnatural, Dr Roy said. But, as the ARD department is not ready to take any chance they are sending all samples for laboratory test to ascertain the actual cause of death, he added. As the villagers are not aware of bird flu or Rarnikhet disease the ARD department are to arrange awareness programme in the villages especially along the border, he said.

 

The death of the chickens along the bordering areas made the district administration and the animal resources development department cautious enough about the deadly disease. A high level meeting will be held on Tuesday to discuss the situation and the precautionary measures taken to halt the spreading of the disease in case of its large-scale outbreak. District magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha convened the meeting.

 

The ARD deputy director Dr Roy said the blood serum and swab samples that were sent earlier for test to Bhopal were reported negative. These were collected from different areas of the district. Teams of ARD personnel are engaged in surveillance in all the twelve blocks in the district. Meanwhile, droppings of migratory birds collected from the area adjacent to Rasik-bil tourist complex in Tufanganj were also sent for test to the laboratory at Belgachhia in Kolkata. Some other serum and swab samples collected from different poultry farms are being tested at the Belgachhia laboratory, he said.

 

On the otherhand, the BSF is keeping constant vigil on the Indo-Bangladesh border so that no one can bring in chickens or eggs from other side of the border. At the International Check Post at Changrabandha the vehicles that are entering India from Bangladesh are being disinfected as a mandatory measure to stop spreading of the viruses of the deadly disease. []

 

PHOTO :  FLU FEAR – Not only chickens but also laying ducks are under observation at the Government Poultry Farm in Cooch Behar. – Debashis Bhaumik

 

Census of irrigation facilities in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 20: Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) is going on in all the 1208-mouzas in twelve block areas of Cooch Behar district. It started in November and expected to be completed in the next month. Planning of minor irrigation policy of the government depends on this survey.

 

Normally, the minor irrigation census conducted in every five years. All minor irrigation facilities including Riverwater Lifting Irrigation (RLI), ground water, sallow tubewells and deep tubewells come under this survey. Examining the outcome of the survey the agencies concerned can chalk out plans for adding more minor irrigation facilities to bring more cultivable lands under irrigation coverage.

 

Assistant engineer of agri-irrigation division of water resources investigation and development department, Mr Raja Ghosh said thirty percent of agricultural land was under irrigation coverage in this district according to the third MIC that was held in 2001. Since then different agencies including Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samities and others did a lot to improve the irrigation scenario of the district. The result of their efforts will come to light after completion of the survey, he said.

 

According to the census of 2001 the irrigated areas in Mathabhanga-I block is at the bottom of the list while Dinhata-I is on the top. Out of 28,422-hectre lands in Dinhata-I block the agri-irrigation division brought 46.17 percent land under irrigation cover. In Mathabhanga-I 19.34 percent of 32,276-hectre lands was extended with irrigation facilities. Not only the agri-irrigation division did the job but also other agencies did it. The Minor Irrigation Census is going on to learn the actual position of irrigation facilities that are being done by different agencies in the district.

 

As there is no system of co-ordination about implementation of different irrigation schemes among the agencies it is difficult for the government and others to know the actual situation, Mr Ghosh said. The survey report may iron out the problem, he hoped. []