Mumbai civic body issues guidelines for tackling bird flu

In the wake of samples of two crows from Mumbai testing positive for bird flu, the city civic body has issued a set of guidelines on reporting the death of birds and safe disposal of their remains.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), while issuing the guidelines on Monday, also appealed to citizens to contact its helpline number 1916, if they notice bird deaths.

According to the Bhopal-based ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), two crows from Mumbai have died due to bird flu, an official said on Monday.

The BMC has directed the disaster control department to immediately report about death of birds to on duty assistant engineers concerned of solid waste management in assistant municipal commissioner's office or to the war rooms.

''The workers and helpers from the regional office and under assistant engineer will dispose of the dead birds as per the laid down guidelines,'' the guidelines said.

The BMC also directed assistant engineers to bring the death of birds to the notice of state-appointed rapid response teams and dispose of the carcasses as per their instructions.

As per the directives under 'Avian influenza action plan to control and prevent revised guidelines 2021', the dead birds have to be disposed of by burying them in a pit.

''Also, it is necessary to use an adequate amount of limestone to bury them and ensure other animals do not dig it again,'' the civic body said.

The BMC also asked the Veer Jijamata Udyan in Bycullaarea of south Mumbai to follow guidelines issued by the central Zoo Authority about bird flu.

Besides asking the department concerned to carry out awareness campaigns about bird flu, the civic body also asked assistant commissioner (market) to create a plan about cleanliness of chicken and mutton shops.