Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania has expressed satisfaction that no bird mortality has been reported from Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary for the past eight days. He said that Subsequent to 51 days of continuous control and containment measures taken by Wildlife Wing of H.P. Forest Department, the Avian Influenza Outbreak in the Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary was now over.
Minister said that the situation on the ground has returned to normal. The Control Room set up by Wildlife Wing of H.P. Forest Department at Nagrota Surian to monitor the outbreak situation in the Sanctuary has been officially closed. He said that ongoing Control and Containment operations have been called off. However, to prevent resurgence of the disease, the Post Operations Surveillance Plan as per Government of India’s “Action Plan for Prevention, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza” would be implemented in the Wildlife Sanctuary for the remaining migratory bird season.
He said that no bird mortality was reported from the entire Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary for the eighth consecutive day and total cumulative number of migratory and resident birds reported dead in Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary area is 5006.
