Odisha Faces Severe Bird Flu Outbreak: 5,000 Chickens Culled, Farmers Demand Compensation

Odisha is grappling with a significant bird flu outbreak as the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been detected in Pipili township, Puri district. The situation has escalated rapidly, prompting the culling of over 5,000 chickens so far, with an anticipated 40,000 more to be culled from 54 farms in the area. This drastic measure follows the confirmation of bird flu through samples collected from a poultry farm where mass chicken deaths were first reported.

The state government has mobilized rapid response teams to manage the outbreak. These teams are engaged in culling and burying the infected birds to curb the spread of the disease. On Saturday, approximately 300 chickens were culled, followed by more than 4,700 on Sunday. The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department has mandated that all birds within a 1 km radius of the affected poultry farm be culled, and the farm will be prohibited from restocking chickens for the next five months.

In response to the crisis, poultry farmers are voicing strong concerns about compensation. They have demanded that fair compensation be provided before any further culling occurs. Farmers argue that their losses are substantial and insist that no chickens be killed until compensation is assured. Pradyumna Parida, Secretary of the Odisha Poultry Development Forum, has highlighted these concerns and questioned how compensation will be managed.

The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department has committed to compensating farmers according to established guidelines. The compensation is set at Rs 70 for each large chicken and Rs 20 for each small chicken from the affected farms. Officials have assured that this compensation will be distributed in line with both Central and State government regulations to address the financial impact on the poultry farmers.