More bird deaths at Hauz Khas park trigger panic
SCARE Gopal Rai visits park, describes situation as ‘worrying’, suggests corrective measures
NEW DELHI : Ten more birds were found dead in Hauz Khas district park on Sunday, taking the death toll at the south Delhi park due to suspected bird flu to 43 in four days.
Delhi development minister Gopal Rai, who visited the park on Sunday to take stock of the situation, described the situation as ‘worrisome’ and announced a slew of measures to check the spread of flu.
Animal husbandry department director HC Dandotiya said three cases from the park has been confirmed by a laboratory in Bhopal as having been caused by the H5N8 virus — a less virulent strain of avian influenza.
The Hauz Khas park, also known as the deer park, was shut down on Thursday, after dead birds were spotted there. The deer park is the second spot that has been confirmed of having recorded bird deaths due to H5N8 after the Delhi zoo. The zoo was shut down earlier this week after nine water birds, including painted storks, ducks and pelicans died there. Both the deer park and the zoo continue to remain shut.
A doctor with the animal husbandry department of the Delhi government said since the nature of deaths of almost all the birds at the park was similar, the department believes that they might have been caused by some virus.
On Sunday, Rai directed the Delhi Development Authority, the landowning agency of the park, to form a ten-member team under the supervision of a doctor to control the situation. DDA’s horticulture director Gajendar Singh said, “We have been given free hand by seniors in purchasing instruments and medicines needed to control the situation. We are hopeful that the situation would be contained soon”.