Siliguri (WB): After a slow start, culling operations were on at a war footing in birdflu-hit Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts of north Bengal as the deadline of 21,000 birds to be culled within three km radius of the affected areas ends tonight.
Altogether 4,000 poultry birds were culled till 2 pm today, while the total number of birds killed yesterday was 3,691. Only 126 birds could be culled on Saturday, Siliguri SDO Sharad Dwivedi said. The culling teams also destroyed 1,595 eggs and 119 kg of chicken feed during the day. Dwivedi said the operation, being supervised by four deputy magistrates, had a target of culling 21,000 birds within three km radius of the affected areas in the two districts by tonight. "If the target cannot be achieved by tonight, the operation would continue tomorrow morning. Mopping operation will also start from tomorrow," he said. The number of culling teams was increased from 22 to 26, each consisting of nine members including two policemen. There was no report of any resistance as compensation was being given on the spot, he said, adding the authorities has banned the sale and consumption of chicken and poultry products with a 10 km radius of the epicentre Benoy Krishna pally at Matigara, near here. Culling was on at Rajgunj block of Jalpaiguri, Matigara block of Siliguri police station in Darjeeling, 34 wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation and at Pubung under Takda block of Darjeeling sadar.
