More than 4600 fowls from 25 villages of East Garo Hills district in Meghalaya were culled to contain the spread of bird-flu, officials here said on Wednesday.
“We expect to cross the 5000 mark today when culling operation is left in only two villages within 3 km from the epi-centre,” state’s veterinary director Mr L Lyngwa said.
He was optimistic that culling operation will be over by the evening. Yesterday, 1222 fowls in four villages were culled following strict guidelines from the Centre, Mr Lyngwa said.
A total of 4666 fowls were culled, he said, adding that more than 1500 eggs were also destroyed in past seven days of cleaning operation in the East Garo Hills district.
Earlier, the state government had projected that more than 24,000 bird will come under the knife in the area.
District administrator Mr Pravin Bakshi said Rapid Response Teams (RRT) will have to stay quarantined together at a designated place in Williamnagar until January 28.
Around 15 temporary toilets, blankets, mattresses, pick-up trucks, food, vehicles and earth movers have been arranged for the culling and mopping operations.
The district, with a population density of 122 inhabitants per square kilometre, has a population of 3,17,618 persons as per 2011 census.
Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory had confirmed outbreak of bird-flu on January 11.