Click to play videoNew Delhi: The West Bengal government has confirmed that samples from Nayamukundapur and Bothra villages tested positive for the bird flu.
The administration is wasting no time and has started culling operations in the affected villages. Samples were sent to the National Animal Research Laboratory in Bhopal after a number of chickens died suspiciously two days ago.
Nearly 40 lakh birds were culled from mid January to early February after 16 of Bengal's 19 districts were affected by the deadly strain of avian flu. The administration lifted the ban on sale of poultry barely a month ago.
Anisur Rehman, West Bengal animal resources development minister, on Saturday started giving the one-time financial assistance of Rs 500 to families whose chickens died of bird flu recently at Margram in Birbhum district.
The disease was first noticed in Margram in the middle of January. Rehman handed over money to 20 families on Saturday.
Around 4000 families of the district would get the assistance, the minister said. He reminded villagers of affected areas not to buy or sell chickens for three months starting from January 15. The origin of the avian flu in West Bengal was in neighbouring Bangladesh, Rehman said adding many people from this area visit that country frequently and someone might have brought some chickens, which spread the disease.
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