Culling declared completed in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 4: The culling drive declared completed in Cooch Behar district. A fresh culling drive was held at Dinhata-I block yesterday and that marked the end of the drive. 1,632 birds were culled after unearthing those from hidings in the villages of that block yesterday according to the district magistrate Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha.

 

The total number of culled birds in this district is 83,523 and total amount of compensation disbursed to the owners of the culled birds is Rs 26,49,970. Animal resources development department sources said fresh drive for culling of undisclosed chickens and other backyard birds may be conducted, if necessary, to combat the avian flu. In that case no compensation will be paid to the owners of the chickens.

 

Meanwhile, the officials are facing a peculiar problem almost everyday. According to government guidelines the members of the culling teams were asked not to go back to their houses. They should be kept quarantined for ten days. But, violating the instructions many of them are leaving without any notice everyday. The ARD officials have to bring them back everyday after convincing them of the need to be stayed quarantined, the DM admitted.

 

The district magistrate, Mr Sinha said the surveillance teams comprising of health workers were instructed to visit every household within the radius of three kilometres of affected areas for ten days. They were asked to report immediately if they get any patient suffering from fever with breathing problems. Such patients will be kept quarantined till confirmation of the disease they are suffering from. Replying a question he said there is no shortage of Tami-flu tablets in this district.

 

Mr Sinha said notice boards are being displayed at the places where the culled chickens were buried. By these boards villagers are being asked not to dug up the places or use the places for other purposes for five years. The plan behind it is to stop spreading of the bird flu virus, he explained.  

 

On the otherhand, the ARD teams are now engaged in disinfecting villages within the radius of three kilometres where culling drives were conducted. This drive will continue for ten days, ARD officials said. []