Culling to begin tomorrow, isolated ward ready at hospital

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 24: Fifty rapid response teams (RRT) consisting of five members in each team are ready for deployment for culling of all domestic birds in Dinhata-I block in Cooch Behar district. Culling will start from tomorrow in the affected villages especially Jaridharla, Daribash and adjoining areas within the radius of five kilometres. Other villages within radius of ten kilometres will be kept under intensive surveillance. Culling may be completed by Saturday but the period may be extended if necessary.

 

District magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said Cooch Behar was declared as an avian flue affected district yesterday. As H5N1 virus was confirmed in samples of some dead chickens at the laboratory at Belgachhia the district administration is in no mood to take any chance. The samples that tested positive of avian flu were collected from Jaridharla and Daribash villages in Dinhata-I block. The area is very close to the Indo-Bangladesh border.

 

The BSF already stopped plying of ferryboats in Dharala river in the most affected area to stop spreading of the disease to this side.

 

Meanwhile, a joint secretary from the Centre, Dr Vijay Kumar arrived here today to supervise and monitor the culling operations and combating of avian influenza disease. He will stay here till completion of the process, Cooch Behar ADM (D) Mr Pannalal Mahapatra said.

 

The DM said all possible precautionary measures were taken to combat the disease and it's spreading to newer areas. Steps were taken to meet any adverse situation, he said. Eighty RRT were formed for committing culling of birds. Fifty teams will be deployed in Dinhata-I block and the remaining thirty will be kept as reserve ones, the DM said. The members of these teams and all persons concerned with the culling will be administered with medicines to protect them from the deadly virus. Policemen will also be deployed to ensure peace during culling, the DM said.

 

An isolation ward demarcated at Dinhata sub-divisional hospital with adequate beds for use if situation arises. Sufficient medicines also kept ready to deal with any situation, Mr Sinha said. Two medical teams were formed to examine the health of the RRT personnel.

 

The district administration is keeping contact with the Border Security Force. The DM Mr Sinha talked with the DIG-BSF Mr PJ Rao today about maintaining strict vigil along the border to stop crossing of any poultry bird from Bangladesh. Transportation and selling of chickens and eggs were banned. Serving of these items in midday meals in schools were also prohibited, the DM said.

 

On the otherhand, animal resources development (ARD) department sources in Cooch Behar said that they got information of birds' abnormal death from seven blocks out of twelve so far. These are Dinhata-I, Cooch Behar-I, Mathabhanga-I, Tufanganj, Sitalkuchi, Sitai and Mekhliganj.

 

In Haribhanga of Cooch Behar-I bodies of ten migratory birds were recovered on Tuesday. These birds used to take shelter in that area on tall and old trees. The samples of dead migratory birds were sent for test to Kolkata but test results are yet to confirm the cause of their death by the deadly virus, the DM said.

 

In Baro-Khalisamari of Mathabhanga-I abnormal death of a few hundred chickens were reported to the ARD officials. In Dinhata-I, more chicken deaths were reported from several villages including Jaridharla and Daribash, ARD officials said. They were intimated of death of some chickens at Votebari in Mekhliganj too. []