The culling operation at English Bazaar in Malda district, where the avian influenza has made a comeback, has gained momentum on Thursday with 9,500 chicken being culled.

Another 15,000 chickens will have to be culled to rid the area of the scourge, said Anisur Rahman, Minister for Animal Resources Development Department (ARDD).

The drive had a poor start on December 16 with only 155 chicken culled on Wednesday.

“Our teams have fanned out in the affected areas and the culling operation is going on in full swing. There had been no resistance from anybody or anywhere and there was no report of the malady spreading to new areas,” Rahman said.

The government has also clamped a ban on the movement of poultry and eggs from the affected areas. “We have asked the administration to enforce the ban strictly. Apart from that we have sealed the Assam border. We have also requested the Centre to seal the Bangladesh border,” the minister said.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to the people not to spread any rumour regarding the disease. “Everybody should play a responsible role because the livelihood of lakhs of people is involved in this,” Dilip Chakrabarty, Principal Secretary, ARDD, told The Indian Express.