The forest department has increased vigilance to safely celebrate the three-day bird festival amid the emergence of bird flu
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The emergence of bird flu in Kerala and the other states has prompted the Karnataka government to issue an alert in the state. A high alert was issued in four districts that border Kerala: Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Madikeri and Udupi. However, the state's annual bird watching fest, which began on Tuesday in Mysuru, is set to continue on schedule. The annual birdwatching festival, popularly known as Hakki Habba, kicked off at the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Chamarajnagar near Mysuru. The three-day festival was started in 2015 by the Karnataka Forest Department, in a bid to create awareness about the environment and to attract more people to the cause of bird conservation. The festival also aids in finding birds that are largely seen only in the region and to make note of new species that fly in. Santhosh, the Indian Forest Officer in-charge said, “The government has issued special guidelines. We have been asked to report any unnatural deaths among the birds. The veterinary doctors present at the festival have been monitoring the bird’s health.” The guidelines issued by the government read, “Further, in view of the fact that a large number of migratory birds visit India during this season, movement of birds to wetlands is also possible and it is requested to keep a strict vigil on the wintering habitats of migratory birds, including wetlands, for any mortality or disease outbreak signs.” The guidelines also said that the infected birds need to be kept in containment zones. The officer further added that to keep the event safe, they have taken necessary measures and have ensured limited exposure of the birds since the reserve sees a large number of migratory birds in the season. Karnataka dealt with an episode of bird flu in Mysuru last year.
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