Feb. 2: Bird flu was confirmed in a Canning village today and the government revised its culling target to 30 lakh.

“Poultry samples from Jibantala village of Canning block II have tested positive for the flu at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal,” said South 24-Parganas district magistrate Sanghamitra Ghosh.

Animal resource development minister Anisur Rahman said culling operations in Jibantala would begin tomorrow. “We had earlier planned to complete culling in 13 bird flu-hit districts by Sunday.”

Mop-up operations are likely to continue till Tuesday.

Asked if villagers would get compensation for birds caught during the mop-up, Rahman said: “Village elders are already on the job, asking people to hand over their birds before the mop-up begins. We have begun the exercise in advance to ensure all villagers get compensation for their birds.”

Subhas Barui, the culling team member who had been hospitalised with symptoms of influenza after returning home from Rampurhat, has tested negative for bird flu.