Bhubaneswar: As many as 5,000 chickens were culled in Pipili in the last two days amid the bird flu scare in Odisha.
According to sources, a 13-member team has been constituted to carry out the mass killing of the infected birds in the area to prevent the spread of the viral infection to other parts of the State. As many as 20,000 chickens from 54 farms in Pipili will be culled in the next 15 days, officials said,
A decision in this regard was taken after the livestock inspector visited the spot and detected avian influenza virus in the area.
Meanwhile, resentment is brewing among poultry farmers as they demand adequate compensation before carrying out the mass culling of chickens.
The irate farmers threatened that not a single chicken would be allowed to be killed if they didn’t get the compensation.
“I have borrowed money from different sources and invested Rs 3 lakh for poultry farming. If my chickens will be culled, who will give me the compensation,” asked Sushant Kumar Das, a farmer.
On the other hand, the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department has assured that the farmers will be compensated as per the existing guidelines issued by the Central and State governments.
PNN