17,000 poultry birds culled on Day 1

BHUBANESWAR: At least 17,000 poultry birds were killed on Day One of the culling exercise which began  at the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) here on Sunday.  The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Khurda district administration pressed in seven teams to cull the birds at the farm, which boasts of huge parent stock of poultry and is a major supplier to eastern Indian states. The CPDO has a total stock of 29,000 poultry birds.Earlier, the BMC had planned to start culling at the CPDO and the bird farm of the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) simultaneously on Sunday. However, culling could begin only at the CPDO while the exercise at the OUAT will start on Monday.“We expect that the entire culling exercise will be completed in the next three to four days. Our teams are on the job and adequate bio-safety measures are being adopted,” Director of Veterinary Services Benudhar Das said.Over the next few days, the administration has to cull over 27,000 birds. According to estimates, the OUAT farm has about 7,584 birds while in the 3-km  radius of the CPDO, the poultry population is expected to be about 10,000 (as per the 2007-08 census).While five surveillance teams were engaged by the veterinary wing, the Health department will deploy a 37-member contingent from Monday thereby augmenting the monitoring and surveying measures in the alert zone which comprises 29 wards of the BMC.As the culling started with heightened security, the Health department provided chemo-prophylaxis to the 50 persons engaged in handling, culling, transporting and burying of the dead birds.Municipal Commissioner Vishal Dev said a dozen RRTs will be on job from Monday. Two squads each will be pressed at the CPDO and the OUAT, while another eight will collect birds from the wards.At least 20 poultry and related product shops have been closed down and sanitisation has been carried out.