After bird flu scare in HP, R’sthan, UT Govt sounds alert in J&K
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 5: After the neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh besides Rajasthan, reported some cases of bird flu, the Jammu and Kashmir UT Administration today sounded alert and started closely monitoring situation in Kashmir and Jammu regions by constituting teams of Wild Life Protection and Animal Husbandry departments.
Official sources told the `Excelsior’ that the joint teams have been directed to collect samples to check the health of the guest birds flocking the Jammu and Kashmir. The teams also visited today several wetlands in Kashmir and Jammu region to monitor the situation and collect samples of birds droppings. The same have been sent for tests in the Labs by the teams.
Chief Wild Life Warden J&K, SK Gupta said that the joint teams of Animal Husbandry and Wildlife departments led by Wild Life Warden Jammu Anil Atri today visited Gharana wetland near Indo Pak border in Suchetgarh area collected bird droppings samples for testing to ascertain whether any of the birds, is infected with the dreaded avian influenza.
Gupta said though the J&K Government has sounded alert but there is no need to be panicky. Justifying his point CWL warden said that migratory birds generally arrive during first or maximum second week of December every year. They remain confined to a particular area during there stay here. Therefore, there are very less chances of spreading of this flu in this part at this juncture. Even then all the precautionary measures are being taken where the birds are kept or the wetland areas.
“The J&K Administration has sounded alert and issued certain guidelines as a precautionary measure,” Gupta added.
WLW Jammu, Atri who along with Dr Ranjit Katoch of the Wildlife department joined the Animal Husbandry team at Gharana wetland, said all the birds present in the wetland looked healthy.
He disclosed that Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve in RS Pura sector near the International Border was notified in 1981 and is home to more than 170 species of birds like bar-headed geese, gadwalls, common teals, purple swamp hens, Indian moor hens, black-winged stilts, cormorants, egrets and green shanks. During winters, the wetland is visited by many birds from Central Asia and some of the migratory bird species visiting this wetland are endangered.
“The team of Animal Husbandry Department, Jammu collected the bird dropping samples for testing,” he said, adding there is no need for alarm as this is being done just as a precautionary measure in view of reported cases in HP, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh to keep the wetlands safe and check the spread of the H5N8 virus.
Atri said the number of birds does not remain static and keeps changing. Bar-headed geese outnumber other migratory birds at the wetland,” he added.
Dr Katoch, however, said the sampling team of the Animal Husbandry Department collected the samples which would be tested in Jalandhar. So far, no death of any migratory or local bird was reported from the wetland. We have checked the birds and all are healthy,” Katoch added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel