ALAPPUZHA: The animal husbandry and health departments will jointly cull the ducks in the bird flu-hit areas of Kuttanad from Wednesday, said Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala here on Tuesday.
He was speaking to reporters after a meeting of people’s representatives and farmers at the collectorate conference hall. The culling will be conducted in one-km radius of Malayilthodu paddyfield in Purakkad panchayat, Bhagavathypadam in Mullackal village in Alappuzha municipality, ward 3 in Nedumudi panchayat and Mukkayil paddyfield in Ambalappuzha north panchayat.
Mr Chennithala said that following representations from the farmers, the meeting decided to recommend to the government to increase the compensation to Rs 200 from Rs 150 per 60-day-old duck and Rs 100 from Rs 75 for younger ones. The cabinet would take a decision on the issue, he said.
Meanwhile, control rooms were opened in the AHD office and the district collectorate with phone numbers 0477- 2252636 and 2238630. The public should convey any information about the disease to the control room numbers, the minister said.
The preventive steps will be coordinated by the government. All panchayats have been asked to utilise Rs 50,000 from their own funds for preventive steps. The movement of birds from the affected panchayats will be done only with the permission of the government departments.
The carcasses of birds will be buried under the supervision of the departments. Besides the Home Minister, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan, Thomas Chandy MLA and District Collector N. Padmakumar attended the meeting.
