Kolkata, January 24
Rains in eight bird flu hit districts of West Bengal hampered culling operations today even as the Malda district administration is yet to begin the destruction of poultry even after 72 hours of the virus being detected in the area.

Malda District Magistrate C.R. Das said besides Katihar in adjoining Bihar, the virus might spread to North Dinazpur district since it too falls within 10 km radius of the affected Chanchol-1 block of Malda district.

The district administration was yet to start the culling operation due to lack of personnel, Das said. The virus was detected in poultry on January 21.

Unseasonal rain since yesterday has, meanwhile, hampered culling in Bankura, Birbhum, Hooghly, Coochbehar, Nadia, South Dinazpur, Bardhaman and Murshidabad districts. There were reports of resentments among poultry owners for not getting the promised compensation.

Animal resources development minister Anisur Rehman said coupons were distributed among those who lost poultry.

Those coupons could be encashed from respective panchayat offices.

Meanwhile, a truck carrying 1,000 chickens, being brought from West Midnapore district, was intercepted by local people and handed over to the police last night at Moina police station area of East Medinipur district, where already over 2,000 chickens had died during the past few days.

District Magistrate of West Midnapore district N.S. Nigam said following poultry death, blood samples had been sent to Bhopal from Binpur, Sakrail and Chandrakona town and the report was awaited.

Coochbehar district, which was declared bird flu hit yesterday after Dinhata-1 block samples tested positive, would begin culling from tomorrow.

Meanwhile, blood samples were also sent from Mathabanga-1, Mekhaliganj and Tufanganj blocks for testing following the death of about 500 chickens for the past few days, District Magistrate, Rajesh Kumar Sinha said.

Rezinanagar, Naoda and Nabogram blocks of Murshidabad district were also awaiting result from Bhopal, district officials said.

A report from Nadia said a large section of tribal villagers had gathered near the Raikhas area under Haringhata block to resist culling teams alleging that their birds were healthy.

Patna: The Bihar government today ordered the culling of chickens in areas close to West Bengal following the outbreak of avian flu in that state.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also holds the animal husbandry portfolio, told UNI here that chickens were being culled in Katihar district bordering the worst hit Malda district of Bengal.

He said the chickens in six panchayats of Azamgarh block of Katihar district were being culled and the affected poultry farmers would be suitably compensated as per norms of the Centre.

Gorakhpur: After West Bengal, the bird flu outbreak is haunting eastern Uttar Pradesh owing to the migration of birds from Nepal.

An emergency centre has been set up here, and directives have been issued to officials, sources said.

“No case of avian flu has been detected in UP so far...but due to the migration of birds in Gorakhpur’s Ramgarh Taal and Sant Kabirnagar’s Bakhira Jheel, an emergency centre has been established,” animal husbandry department Deputy Director Markandey said here today.

Besides, medical teams had been set up in Gorakhpur and Basti divisions. Medicos had been also directed to take blood samples of birds migrating from Nepal and sent them to Pune and Bhopal for tests, he informed.

Several lakh people are associated with poultry business in the region, therefore, awareness was being created about the threat, the deputy director added.

Guwahati: The dreaded avian flu is suspected to have reached Assam’s Goalpara district and neighbouring Khasi hills of Meghalaya.

Though official sources refused to confirm the suspected detection of H5N1 virus in poultry in Assam, it is suspected that a visiting Central team is convinced of the spread of the virus to the North-East states also. — Agencies