Bhubaneswar, Jan. 4: Forest department officials today began the bird census at Ansupa lake in Cuttack district to take stock of the bird population, even as the civic administration has started taking precautions in the flu affected areas of Rourkela and the state capital.

While the administration in Rourkela has begun vaccination of chicken, the city administration in Bhubaneswar has collected blood samples of dead birds found at Salia Sahi and sent them for tests.

Sundargarh collector B.S. Punia said they had decided to vaccinate 3 lakh chickens. "A team of veterinary, forest and the Rourkela Municipal Corporation will vaccinate the birds within a 10km radius of the affected areas," said Punia.

The administration has also decided to prioritise rural areas besides the two epicentres - CISF Colony and IG Park - in Rourkela. The city is also facing another danger as migratory birds are coming to water reservoirs at Mandia, Kansbahal and Pitamahal. A forest department team today visited four villages - Kacharu, Pasara, Rampur and Sialjore - where domestic chickens were found dead. "We are helping the villagers tackle any eventuality," said district forest officer Sanjit Kumar.

In Bhubaneswar, municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar has urged citizens not to panic since the civic body has ensured proper surveillance, storage and availability of the bird flu vaccine. "There has been no reports of bird deaths in city, but we don't want to take any chances. We need to be prepared," said Kumar.

The city administration in Bhubaneswar has also formed three rapid response teams, which will do the surveillance job at the poultries in the city. Each team consists of a veterinarian, an assistant and an attendant. The team will collect blood samples from all poultry farms and send them for tests.

The zonal deputy commissioners of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation's three zones were also asked to ensure sanitation through regular awareness drives.

The bird census, which began today along the entire Mahanadi river system and the Ansupa lake in Athgarh, will be carried on for a period of three days.

"We are aware about the bird flu threat and have asked our teams to be extra cautious. They will collect dead birds so that they can be sent for further tests to Bhubaneswar," said Cuttack divisional forest officer Sudarshan Behera.

Officials said a close watch was being kept at the Ansupa lake, which is one of the main points for the arrival of migratory birds during winter.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RAJESH MOHANTY