Delhi, the city of wetlands, invites enormous number of different migratory bird species and also has versatile species of resident birds.
Taking care of the need for a specialised facility that caters to the needs of birds, Delhi Government has proposed a specialised treatment facility for the birds in the National Capital Territory (NCT), as part of its Animal Health and Welfare Policy 2018.
Ornithologists are welcoming this step as Delhi has no Government hospital to provide specialised health services to injured or ill birds.
According to policy, the rise in population of birds in recent years makes it all the more important that welfare of birds and their health be taken up as urgent need by the Government by stating specialised aviary health facilities.
This setup would be developed in all the districts of Delhi in order to provide high-end specialized referral clinical support and treatment to the birds. These centres would have both, Out Patient Department and In Patient Department facilities for birds."
The policy to strengthen overall animal health was discussed in meeting attended by Delhi's Minister of Development, Gopal Rai with a purpose to speared awareness about animal welfare through sensitization of public, rehabilitation of animals, disaster management for animals, infirmary for sick or injured, hostel facility for farm, stray or abandoned animals.
According to a web portal dedicated to birds' species, a total of 444 species of birds are found in Delhi, including globally threatened marked by International Union for conversation of Nature (IUCN).
Pertinently, there is only one hospital for birds run by Jain communities in Chandni Chowk, that too treats only vegetarian birds and not raptors, in such scenario, the government proposal to create specialized treatment facility for birds is godsend, particularly, when presence of birds is a sign of good eco balance.