5000 birds dead in one week, claim villagers

5000 birds dead in one week, claim villagers - Blood samples of chickens sent to Bhopal for tests

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Blood samples being collected from a dead chicken at Satghoria in Malda on Sunday. Picture by Surajit Roy Malda, Dec. 14: Over 500 chickens have died since yesterday morning in Budhia village of Malda, even as the district administration has sent blood samples of dead birds to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal for tests. Hasnara Begum, the Narhatta gram panchayat member, said the chicken deaths have created panic among the villagers. “Over 5,000 birds died in Satghoria, Budhia, Sabji Para, Sadhya Para and adjoining areas during the past one week,” she said. On Friday, residents of Satghoria had reported that at least 250 chickens had died. District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh has convened an emergency meeting tomorrow to take stock of the situation. “No one has reported to me about the mass death of chickens. I have, however, asked the animal resources department to file a report. We have also kept a watch over the situation so that no chickens or eggs from the affected areas are sold outside,” Ghosh said. Journalists had shown the district magistrate the video clippings of dead chickens strewn over Budia village, 12km from here. According to Ghosh, the department officials have collected blood samples from three dead chickens in Satghoria. “We are not yet sure about the cause of the death. We will come to know about it after blood test reports come from Bhopal.” The reports from Bhopal are expected in two-three days, said Nikhil Sit, the deputy director of the animal resources department of the district. Idani Bibi of Budhia said she had lost 110 chickens last night. “We have dumped them in a field half-a-kilometre away.” The Narhatta gram panchayat member, who lives in Budhia, said eight chickens died in her house today. “We suspect that the birds are dying because of flu. We have informed the block administration about this.” In Budhia, the dead chickens included nearly 200 birds of a women-run self-help group, Bandhu. “The birds turn drowsy all of a sudden and die instantly, giving us no time to take them to vets,” Saifun Bibi, a member of the group, said. The dead birds are being dumped in an open space and the stench is pervading the air. The dogs and cats are feasting on them. Many fear that the villagers may get affected. Sit said his department did not have the figures of dead chickens. “Our team had visited Satghoria to collect blood samples but we are not aware of the deaths in Budhia.”