Fresh culling drive plan in Cooch Behar,

Anthrax situation reviewed

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 7: Though the culling drive was declared completed in Cooch Behar district the authorities concerned are considering launching of a fresh drive to cull the hidden backyard birds like chickens and ducks. Before leaving for New Delhi today the Central observers from Union animal resources development department - Dr S Negi and Dr Vijay Kumar advised the local ARD officials to launch a fresh culling drive to stop any chance of spreading of avian flu virus.

 

The Central observers visited all the affected areas in the past few days in three blocks from where deaths of backyard birds were reported. As the samples were tested positive of bird flu a massive culling drive was conducted in villages under Dinhata-I, Dinhata-II and Mathabhanga-I.

 

The observers expressed their satisfaction about the culling drive and the mop up operation done in those areas.

 

Later, in a high level meeting they reviewed the situation and it was decided that the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) will do culling till 10 February if they get chickens that are still kept hidden.

 

After the stipulated date the ARD personnel may commit culling but in that case no compensation will be extended to the owners of the birds.

 

The Central observers also visited the Bhojaner-chhara village under Mathabhanga-II block from where anthrax cases were reported. It may be recalled that six cows died of the disease at that village in last week. Dr Negi and Dr Kumar inquired about the vaccination process undertaken in that area to combat the spreading of anthrax.

 

On the otherhand, a joint director of ARD department Dr Lakshmi Narayan Bandyopadhyay (Siliguri) and a senior scientist of the department Dr Basudeb Dutta (Kolkata) are still in this district. They are reviewing the bird flu and anthrax situations by visiting the affected areas regularly. Today, they visited the villages in Dinhata-I and Dinhata-II and inquired if death of any bird occurred after the recently concluded culling drive.

 

ARD department sources here claimed that about 1,200 cattle were vaccinated so far as precautionary measure to anthrax in Mathabhanga-II block. []