Flu scare: culling begins in Assam

Assam has launched a massive culling operation of chicken in the districts bordering West Bengal and Bangladesh, in view of the outbreak of bird flu in the neighbouring state. The culling began on Sunday with the authorities demarcating a strip of 5 kms in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts touching West Bengal and along the Indo-Bangla border in Hailakandi, Karimganj, Cachar and Dhubri districts.

The culling operation was launched at the instance of the Centre, which issued directives to Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa last week to carry out culling to prevent bird flu from spreading across these states. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said there has not been a single incident of bird flu anywhere in Assam and that the culling of birds was being carried out as a preventive measure.