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The Kerala government today sanctioned Rs 2 crore as an immediate allowance for containing the spread of bird flu (avian influenza) in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
The Cabinet meeting held today also decided to raise the compensation to farmers in the light of strong protests in the affected areas. Accordingly, farmers will get Rs 100 for each infant duck and Rs 200 for every two-month-old ducks. Earlier, these were Rs 75 and Rs 150, respectively.
The state government has directed the respective district collectors to ensure the culling of all birds in the affected areas and burn them using petrol.
The cabinet also decided to buy more vaccines from Rajasthan for supply in the affected zones.
Meanwhile, a central team of experts arrived in the state today morning and visited the affected belts in the Kuttanad area.
In some places of Alappuzha, people have voluntarily started killing birds with the help of the Animal Husbandry department and village panchayat officials. This is in the light of spread of viral fever among people in the affected areas.
