Tuesday, February 21 2006 12:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government today (Feb 21,2006) said the culling operations in the bird flu-affected areas are likely to end this evening.

The operation 'is likely to end by today evening,' Agricuture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of a BIS award function here today.

The animal husbandary department started the culling operation yesterday, he added.

He blamed certain sections of the media for blowing a localised event out of proportion, which according to him led to a panic like situation.

"It is wrong to say that bird flu has erupted across the country, which in fact happened within a radius of 10 km area in the western region," he said.