Mumbai: 169 crows and pigeons have died so far due to bird flu

According to sources, as many as 169 crows and pigeons have died in Mumbai as of Wednesday, January 13.

In Mumbai, 169 birds were found dead between Tuesday and Wednesday, this week. On Tuesday, crows and pigeons were found dead in the areas of Chembur, Govandi, Prabhadevi, Wadala, Matunga, Colaba, Sion Kandivali, Borivali, Andheri, Malad and Dadar.

Meanwhile, earlier on January 11, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appealed to citizens to contact its helpline number 1916, if they notice bird deaths. Complaints received on the helpline will be reported to the Assistant Engineer working in the Solid Waste Management Department through the control room. After that, the staff under the supervision of those officers in the department office will dispose of the birds as per the guidelines.

So far, the bird flu has spread across 10 states in the country. Till Sunday, January 10, the outbreak had spread to seven states - Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. However, positive cases of bird flu were further found in Delhi, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra on Monday, January 11.

On the other hand, the authorities at the Byculla zoo have been put on high alert in order to make sure that none of the birds inside the premises get infected. Moreover, there are over 200 aquatic and exotic birds inside the zoo. In the midst of the outbreak, authorities have scaled up hygiene monitoring while serving food. In addition, the general atmosphere in which the birds are kept is being looked after as well.