Thiruvananthapuram: With the outbreak of bird flu creating a scare in the state, the government on Tuesday decided to cull over 1.5 lakh birds, including poultry, in the disease-affected districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Oommen Chandy to review the situation in the affected areas.
Ministers of animal husbandry, agriculture, forest and revenue and senior officials took part in the meeting. The culling will be conducted from Wednesday, said home minister Ramesh Chennithala in Alappuzha.
The sale of ducks and other poultry items and their consumption and transportation have been banned within 10-km radius of Purakkad, Thalavadi, Kainakary, Chambakulam, Nedumudi and Bhagavathyppadom sectors in Alappuzha and Aymanam in Kottayam district.
Meanwhile, the centre has stated that the H5N1 virus detected in Alappuzha district was virulent and that effective steps needed to be taken to prevent its spread among humans.
Union agriculture minister Radha Mohandas said in Delhi that adequate compensation would be given to duck farmers once it received the report from the state government.
At a press conference after the high-level meeting here, agriculture minister K. P. Mohanan said the duck farmers’ interest would taken into consideration.
Farmers whose ducks are being taken for culling would be paid a compensation of Rs 150 each for two-month- old ducks and Rs 75 for ducklings. Duck farmers had demanded Rs 200 as compensation. Cabinet will take a decision on compensation hike on Wednesday.
He said the carcasses of the culled birds would be burnt in secure sites. “Since the affected areas are wetland, we have to go for burning option.
Moreover, transportation of ducks to other districts is banned. Leaflets prepared by the Kerala Veterinary University will be distributed in all households in Alappuzha district,” he said and added that control rooms manned by animal husbandry and agriculture departments would be opened in all 14 districts.
According to reports, health officials could not carry out effective measures. Health Minister V. S. Sivakumar maintained that there was no dearth of medicines as fresh supplies were expected from Andhra Pradesh by late evening. He said the Union Health and Agriculture Ministry had sent out an alert to the state.
As per preliminary reports by the animal husbandry department, there are over five lakh ducks in the Kuttanad region.
Following the visit of the IMA team led by Dr Mohammad Shafi to Alappuzha, the IMA took stock of the situation at its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening.
He told DC that the collective efforts of various departments should be combined and in exceptional circumstances, the service of rapid action force should be brought in if the outbreak could not be brought under control.
As many as 50 duck farmers carried out a one-hour blockade on the AC road in Ponga near Pallathuruthy on Tuesday in protest against the government’s decision to cull ducks.
Mr Samuel Pallipad, state secretary of All- Kerala Duck Farmers’ Society, said, “We will not allow officials to cull the ducks without adequate compensation.”
The blockade was called off after the police and the district administration intervened.
