Vigil at Asan wetland after bird flu cases at Chandigarh

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 20

The Asan Wetland, which falls along the Dehradun-Chandigarh route and attracts migratory birds in large numbers, has been put under round-the-clock monitoring in the aftermath of the outbreak of avain influenza at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.

Around 10,000 migratory birds are at present camping at the Asan wetland, which is a conservation reserve and an important bird area of the country.

A team of veterinary doctors led by Dr SK Binjola visited the conservation reserve and found the behaviour of birds normal. Uttarakhand Divisional Forest Officer Chakrata Diwakar Sinha told The Tribune there was no symptom of avian influenza had been reported in migratory birds at the Asan Wetland.

He said as a precaution, a team of forest officials was monitoring the wetland and its surrounding areas round the clock. Veterinary doctors had been pressed into service.

Range officer Jawahar Singh Tomar, who is supervising the monitoring works, said the forest team was closely monitoring Asan and behaviour of birds for any abnormality.

He said according to veterinary officers’ advice, they were specially looking for any incident of dead bird or birds with symptoms of swelling.

Spread across 250 hectares, the Asan wetland serves as a key halt for the trans-Himalayan migratory birds and attracts migratory birds from Russia, China and Mongolia.

More than 200 species of migratory birds, including Rudy shell ducks, northern shoveller and mallard, bar-headed goose, grey leg goose, grey heron, purple heron, painted stork and comman parakit, come to Asan during the winter.