THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The mounting concerns over the latest bird flu outbreak in Kuttanad and nearby wetlands echoed in the state Assembly on Thursday, even as the government stated that the virus responsible for the outbreak was not deadly and could not be transmitted to human beings.
Speaking on the issue, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the only option for the state now during bird flu outbreak is to cull the ducks and burn them. Dumping the carcasses in wetland areas, though, is not feasible, the CM added.
‘’Establishing a facility to detect bird flu at the outset itself and conducting detailed studies is under the active consideration of the government,’’ he assured the House.
’The disease is spreading rapidly in the Western parts of Kottayam,’’ Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala pointed out.
Forest and Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju, while stating that there was no reason for any serious concern in this regard, disclosed that the government had convened high level meets at Alappuzha and the state capital and took stock of the situation and initiated all precautionary measures.
‘’The Chief Minister presided over the meeting here. Only 1,500 ducks were culled this time, against the nearly two lakh ducks last year.The government has taken necessary steps to prevent the spread of the disease. Rapid Action Force(RAF) have also been deployed in the Kuttanad area to deal with any eventuality. Curbs have been imposed on the sale of duck meat in the low-lying belt for 10 days,’’ he told the Assembly, adding, there was no proper facility in the state for forecasting bird flu .
According to the minister, a sum of `100 for ducks aged below two months and `200 for those above is being released now, when the birds are culled. Besides, the farmers are being compensated for the destroyed eggs at the rate of `5 a piece.