Deaths could be due to fertilisers: Ex-minister

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 5

Former Forest Minister and senior Congress leader Chander Kumar has said that though avian flu is being blamed for the mass deaths of migratory birds in the international Pong wetland area, the use of fertilisers and pesticides by encroachers doing agriculture on forestland along the lake should be probed.

Chander Kumar, while talking to The Tribune, alleged that many politically-influential people had been allowed to grow crops on the forestland along the Pong dam lake this year due to the panchayat elections in the state. These people use fertilisers and pesticides to protect their crops. “I have learnt that farmers are using some kind of fertiliser imported from Punjab that is in the form of pebbles. Birds are consuming these pebble-shaped fertiliser and dying in a large number,” he said.

He alleged that though the Supreme Court had banned ploughing of land along the Pong lake, as it is part of the international wetland area and the wildlife sanctuary, a large number of politically-influential people were growing crops there during the winter when the water in the lake recedes. Earlier also, there had been reports of birds dying in a large number due to pesticides or fertilisers being used on crops. The government should get these facts checked by sending independent experts to the Pong dam lake area, he said.

The former minister said that the wetland area receives over one lakh migratory birds during the winter. It also receives the largest number of Bar-headed goose.