After the deaths of migratory birds at Sukhna lake recently, the UT Administration has geared up to ensure constant surveillance on resident and migratory birds in Chandigarh to ward off the risks of deadly bird flu.
The UT Animal Husbandry Department has collected the fecal and throat swab samples of resident ducks at Sukhna lake here for laboratory test. The samples have been sent to veterinary laboratory in Jalandhar, Punjab and reports are awaited. Earlier, after the deaths of two migratory birds of common pochard species, the UT Forest and Wildlife Department had sent the dead birds for test at veterinary laboratory in Jalandhar to determine the cause of the death.
As per the reports received, no signs of H5N1 avian influenza or any another virus was found in the dead migratory birds and they died due to pneumonia. Now, both the UT Forest & Wildlife Department and UT Animal Husbandry Department are keeping a strict vigil on residents and migratory birds at Sukhna lake to prevent the risks of bird flu here.
Dr lovelesh Kant Gupta, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department while talking to The Pioneer said, “The Department has collected feces and oral samples of resident ducks at Sukhna lake and the samples have been sent to laboratory in Jalandhar. The reports are awaited.” He said, “The samples were collected on January 10. The Department’s staff is keeping a close watch at Sukhna lake to identify sick birds, if any.
The measures are being taken to prevent any risks of bird flu here.” Dr Gupta said, “last year also, the Department had collected the fecal and oral samples of resident birds for test and the reports had confirmed that there were no signs of bird flu in the birds here.” “The two dead migratory birds were also sent for lab test and the reports had confirmed no symptoms of avian influenza. The Department has been keeping active msurveillance on resident as well as migratory birds’ species at Sukhna lake. After the arrival of migratory birds here, we have decided to collect fecal and throat swab samples of birds for tests on every 10th of the month,” he added. The bird flu, or avian influenza, is a contagious disease of animal origin caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs.
last year, bird flu cases were reported in Chhattisgarh, Bihar and the Central Government had subsequently alerted States and Union Territories to take all possible precautionary measures to contain the spread of avian influenza. Chandigarh and its neighboring states are considered as vulnerable areas or bird flu prone zones as migratory birds from other countries fly here every year.
The migratory birds, which travel from Europe through Russia, Siberian region, Turkey and Iran into India are prone to carry H5NI strain. Meanwhile, the UT Forest and Wildlife Department has also stepped up its vigilance to provide a safe habitat to the winged guests. According to the UT Forest and Wildlife Department, about 15 species of migratory birds have reached here.
Kuldeep Sharma, UT deputy Conservator of Forests said, “The forest guards and field officers have been deployed to watch over the winged guests at Sukhna lake. The Department has already put up signages of warning against human feeding to migratory birds.” This time, the Department has also asked the Police officials deployed at the lake to keep a check on visitors’ activities and warn visitors against feeding the migratory birds, if they are observed doing so.
The migratory birds reach Chandigarh every year by mid-November from Siberia, Central Asia, China, Afghanistan and the upper Himalayas and their stay lasts till March or April. The regular winged guests here include common pochards, tufted ducks, common coot, Brahmi duck, gray heron, grey leggy, white-eyed pochards, green sand piper, redshanks, goose, Siberian ducks, crane, shell duck, red-crusted pochard.
Migratory birds’ deaths reported last year
About eight migratory birds of species including common pochard and common coots were found dead at Sukhna lake from December 2012 to January 2013. According to the reports received by the UT Wildlife and Forest Department regarding the cause of death of migratory birds, seven birds died due to enlarged liver caused due to food poisoning while one died due to the harsh cold conditions in the city during last winter. No symptoms of H5N1 avian influenza or any another virus was found in the dead migratory birds. last year, the migratory birds were seen flocking around the walkway at the Sukhna lake where the visitors often feed them with birds’ “unnatural diet” including bread crumbs, chips, roasted gram among others. In 2007 also, over a dozen migratory birds had died at Sukhna after suspected bacterial poisoning.