Ruthless for public good

ALAPPUZHA: They are committing an unkind act even while serving the people. The animal husbandry officials assigned the task of culling the ducks in the district in the wake of the bird flu outbreak are bravehearts who do their job with a sense of mission.

There are about 1,150 officials undertaking the culling operation  which began in full swing here on  Thursday.  Dressed in special protection masks,  they decapitated hundreds of ducks  and bundled them  into gunny bags for  incineration. According to them, ducks are sacrificing themselves.

Dr Harikumar, vet  from Cheriyanad, a member of the team assigned to cull 36,000 ducks in a farm owned by Chandra Bose, Muppathilchira, Ambalappuzha north panchayat, culled about 1,150 ducks before 1 p.m.

“It’s our duty to save our fellow beings at a critical juncture. But I cull every duck in the softest manner possible,” he told DC.

“Kerala is witnessing such scientific culling for the first time.  We have prepared  an isolated area in the affected places. The people outside the task force have to move the flock of ducks to the culling spot. 

Wearing protective mask makes us  uncomfortable  as the chemical-coated attire doesn’t let air in. We hope it could be viable in a couple of days,”  said  Dr Raju Mathew, another veterinary surgeon.      

A woman member Dr Litty Cherian said they were following well-established procedures.  “We have taken precautionary pills effective for 10 days.

This is our first practical experience since we got a special training from the department for culling. We are working closely with the revenue department, local bodies and other agencies and we will be able to cull all ducks in this farm within two or three days,”  she said.