Culling operations continue in Jalgaon

Culling of chickens in six tehsils of the bird flu-hit district of north Maharashtra continued for the second day today.

"Five hundred health workers are involved in the culling operation, which began last night under the supervision of top officials of animal husbandry from Pune and Aurangabad," said Vijay Singhal, district collector.

The processs of culling 2.1 lakh chickens is likely to be completed in three days, he said. Twenty-two villages of the six tehsils ""Bhadgaon, Utran, Paldhi, Parola, Varnad and Erandol "" where the birds were affected by avian inffluenza are under quarantine, Singhal added.Bird flu was earlier declared in three tehsils of the district on March 14 and 92,000 birds were culled.