Union Livestock Commissioner to hold meeting on Bird flu outbreak

Kolkata, Jan 18 : The Union Livestock Commissioner will hold meeting with the West Bengal Government today to review the bird flu situation in Kolkata.

State Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, along with other senior ministers will also attend the meeting.

A delegation of the Union Health Ministry has already reviewed the situation.

Joint Secretary of the Health Ministry P. Krishnan also had discussion with the administration of the bird flue affected districts Birbhum, South Dinajpur and Murshidabad.

The deadly disease broke out in Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts of West Bengal and later spread to some new areas in the adjoining Murshidabad district.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned the outbreak in the state was far more serious than the previous pandemics in Manipur and Maharashtra.

The Centre has also asked the State Government to provide compensation to the farmers whose birds have been culled.

West Bengal has sealed a stretch of its border with Bangladesh, which has been fighting to contain the spread of bird flu since March last year.

Meanwhile, North Eastern states have also sounded an alert and sealed their borders to prevent entry of infected birds.

ANI