Due to stiff resistance by the villagers, culling of fowls at Keranga village of Khordha district was halted on Tuesday.
The locals demanded that the administration first cull the fowls in a poultry farm located on the outskirts of the village and hike the compensation amount to them for each bird killed.
“Our village remained a disease-free zone for last 50-60 years. But the virus came to the village since the poultry farm was set up on the outskirts. So, the birds in the farm should be culled first. After then, we will cooperate with the Government officials in killing the birds in our village,” a resident said.
The locals also demanded the exact cost of the hens/cocks from the administration. “The administration should compensate us for the birds. Otherwise, we will not allow anyone to kill our domestic birds,” said another villager.
Three Rapid Response Teams, which were mobilised to undertake the culling operation, failed to kill any bird in the village, which has been identified as the epicentre of the H1N1 virus.
Animal Resources Department Secretary Bishnupada Sethy, however, said the virus had been detected in the same village four years ago.
“Now, the epicentre of the virus has been identified. Three Rapid Response Teams have been formed to cull 2,000 birds in one-km radius of the infected place,” Sethy said. There is no poultry farm within the one-km radius of the village, he clarified.
The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department had received report from the High Security Animal Disease laboratory in Bhopal confirming the H5N1 virus on December 25, following which it was decided to cull the fowls in the village. Sample of dead hens/cocks were sent to Bhopal on December 19 which were tested positive for the avian flu.