NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, JAN 10
Amid an avian influenza scare, dozens of birds were found dead in different parts of Gujarat, keeping health and animal husbandry department staff busy collecting samples for tests, officials said on Sunday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has said that the state government was fully prepared to deal with bird flu.
He said the two departments were working over the past four days to ensure there is no spread of bird flu in the state.
Junagadh animal husbandry department deputy director SN Vaghasiya said 18 hens were found dead in a poultry farm in Chikhli village in Gir Somnath district in the last nine days.
“Samples have been sent for testing. However, there have been no bird deaths in the vicinity of this farm. For now, I don’t see the possibility of bird flu,” he said.
Some three dozen crows were found dead in Waghai in Dang district, an equal number in Bhimasar village in Kutch district, some Red-wattled lapwing carcasses were found in Rajkot’s Gondal taluka, and several pigeons were found dead in Vadodara, officials said.
“Our animal husbandry and health departments have been working for the last four days to tackle bird flu. The death of the birds is being examined, and the government is working round the clock to ensure bird flu does not spread,” the CM said.
