# 1500
The Indian Press has been extremely vocal in their criticism of the government's handling of the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal. If they have the choice between using two descriptive phrases, they seem to be going with the most inflammatory one.
Admittedly, based on the reports I've seen, the government doesn't exactly deserve a medal. They allegedly sat on their hands for a week or more while birds in Birbhum continued to die, waiting on an `official test result', before acting. Even after recognizing the problem, their response at first was tepid at best.
As a result, the virus is now popping up in at least 5 districts.
Assurances just 2 days ago by India's Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, that the outbreak in West Bengal is "a limited problem", that they've taken "immediate action", and he is "confident the situation will be normalized", now are probably now coming back to haunt him
This from The Times of India.
Govt in panic mode as bird flu spreads
20 Jan 2008, 0212 hrs IST
,
NEW DELHI: In a major shift from protocol, the Centre has now asked the government of West Bengal to initiate culling operation of poultry even in areas where the virus is "suspected" to have struck.
According to protocol, birds are culled in and around the infected area only after the presence of the deadly H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI), or bird flu virus, is established.
However, officials say time is of essence in containing the outbreak in Bengal, where the virus seems to be spreading very fast and infecting thousands of birds everyday. A trend that also puts human health at grave risk.
Agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that "preventive and prophylactic culling" would only be launched in areas which report high and unusual mortality of poultry.
"In such a situation, we won't wait for the confirmation of bird flu. Because it is spreading in near-by districts, we have taken a decision that we are not going to wait for Bhopal's report," Pawar said.
The High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal, presently tests all samples of birds, suspected to have died from AI.
"If death of poultry birds is reported in high numbers, we will start culling operation, on mass basis, in that entire belt," Pawar added.
The state government aims to slaughter 4 lakh birds in a five-to-10 kilometre (three-to-six mile) radius of the affected areas and aims to complete it by Monday, after which clean up and disinfection operations will begin.
Agreeing with West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's reaction, Pawar said the situation "was indeed alarming."
Meanwhile, West Bengal's efforts to control the outbreak drew a sharp reaction from minister of state for health Panabaka Laxmi.
Reacting to an article in the TOI which revealed how compensation was not being paid to farmers whose birds were being culled, she said the Centre is unhappy over the steps taken by the state to contain the virus.
"We are not satisfied," she said.
She added "compensation to poultry losers was not being properly distributed."
On being contacted by this correspondent, Laxmi told TOI from Kolkata: "I have not really surveyed the state's efforts in controlling the virus. My views were on the basis of a TOI report."
Laxmi, who was on her way to Birbhum, the worst affected state with bird flu, however said her ministry had given the state government 2500 extra protection kits and 5 more ventilators on Saturday.
"I will tour Birbhum and meet officials involved with containment operations on Sunday. I met DGHS R K Shrivastava today to learn how the operations were continuing," she told TOI.
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