Guwahati, Dec 17 : The first phase of culling operation has been completed in the bird flu-affected Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta and Dibrugarh districts of Assam.

One lakh more poultry birds are to be culled in these areas during mopping operations, which has already been taken up.

Culling operation in Sarpara, Patgaon and Raja Bazar areas of Kamrup district has been completed.

No fresh report of spread of the disease has been received from anywhere in the State.

While reviewing the bird flu situation in the State at a high level meeting in Dispur, State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked the concerned officials to initiate massive awareness drives against the dreaded disease.

He also appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration to control the bird flu.

Meanwhile, the spread of deadly H5N1 avian influenza hit the sale of poultry.

Precautionary measures are being taken to stop the spread of the virus. The poultry farms in the state are forced to shut down, rendering many unemployment in the sector.

The farmers who used to do good business now lament losses.

"We used to supply around 15,000 chickens in a month on an average, but now our farm is shut and will remain so for another three months," said Sam Kundu, Manager of a Poultry Farm

"Our farm was one of the biggest in this area and around 6 to 8 boys were working here. All of them have become jobless after the farm was shut down. I have no other business. I just waste my time loitering around. Most of the people in our area have become jobless and are now dependent on their families," said Saifudding, a poultry farmer.

Veterinary officials have slaughtered over 300,000 chicken and ducks since late November, after the virus was detected in poultry last month in a village close to Guwahati.

The WHO has described the outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal last January, when more than four million birds were culled, as the worst ever in India. (ANI)