Culling begins in Mathabhanga today

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 28: Twenty Rapid Response Teams (RRT) comprising of five members in each team started culling of domestic birds including chickens, ducks and pigeons at Baro-Khalisamari village under Kursamari Gram Panchayat in Mathabhanga-I block from today. Earlier it was planned that the culling will start from tomorrow but to stop the spreading of the avian flu disease in newer areas the district administration differed the decision and ordered culling from this afternoon.

 

Additional district magistrate (development) of Cooch Behar Mr Pannalal Mahapatra said adequate policemen were provided with the RRTs to make the culling drive trouble free in Mathabhanga. The target of culling is 35,000 in five-kilometre radius of Baro-Khalisamari village. The deadly virus was detected in the samples sent from this village.

 

Before launching of the culling drive the villagers were asked to keep their pet birds at home. They were advised not to set these animals free on tomorrow morning too so that the RRT men can do the job smoothly. He claimed that the compensation at the rate of Rs 40 per bird is paid on the spot and so no resistance came from anywhere during the culling drive so far.

 

Meanwhile, about 28,000 domestic birds were culled in Dinhata-I and Dinhata-II blocks till last night, the ADM (D) said. Fifty RRTs are conducting the culling drive there in four Gram Panchayat areas. The drive will continue for a few days more to fulfil the target of 70,000. []