Death toll of migratory birds reach 4,235 at Pong wetland

| | Chandigarh
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Death toll of migratory birds reach 4,235 at Pong wetland

Monday, 11 January 2021 | PNS | Chandigarh

With carcasses of 215 more migratory birds found at Pong wetland in Himachal’s Kangra district on Sunday, the death toll of birds reached 4235 due to avian influenza- H5N1.

“On Sunday, 215 numbers of migratory birds of different species were reported dead from the Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary area. Till Sunday afternoon, the death toll of migratory birds reached 4235 and the counting of carcasses was still on,” said a senior official of the Wildlife wing of Forest Department, Himachal while talking to The Pioneer.

The worst affected species remains the bar-headed goose, an endangered species that regularly descend in India for winter sojourn. A number of crows were also found dead in different parts of the state over the last few days, the official said.

He said that a joint team of animal husbandry officials from the Centre and the state visited Siyal in Dhameta wildlife range and Guglara in Nagrota Surian range of the Sanctuary on Sunday to assess the situation. The officials from the Wildlife wing of the Forest Department accompanied the team and apprised them about the measures being taken to control and contain this outbreak, he added.

10 rapid response teams (RRTs) are working in the sanctuary area for the collection and safe disposal of dead birds as per protocol.

Meanwhile, a large number of dead poultry birds were found dumped by the side of the Chandigarh-Shimla highway in Solan district. The remains of the birds were buried according to safety protocol and their samples were sent to a Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar.

Each day, hundreds of migratory birds have been found dead at the Pong lake area since December 29. On January 4, the samples of dead birds were tested positive for Avian Influenza- H5N1.

It is for the first time that bird flu has been reported at the Pong wetland which hosts more than one lakh winged guests during winter season. This time, around 60000 migratory birds have reached the wetland for their winter sojourn.

Last week, the Chief Minister had held a review meeting in Dharamshala with all concerned Departments involved in control and containment of the bird flu outbreak and issued necessary directions.

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