BBMP suspects avian flu for death of Common Coot

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) suspects that the death of Common Coot, a variety of aquatic birds in Kasavanahalli Lake, is due to avian flu.

According to P Jagannath Rao, the deputy conservator of forest, no deaths of birds were reported since Saturday.

“Had the deaths continued, we would conduct the autopsy of the carcass to find the exact reason for the deaths,” he said.

“I think the deaths happened due to some sort of avian flu. The fish in the lake are thriving. So we do not suspect a high volume of toxic pollutants entering the waterbody, or some deliberate attempt to poison the birds,” Rao added.

On Friday, more than seven coots were found dead on the shore of Kasavanahalli Lake in Bellandur. There were several doubts over the cause of deaths. While a few locals claimed that the birds died because of the involvement of a fish contractor, who might have poisoned the birds, local lake protection group members claimed it could be due to avian flu or the cyanobacteria bloom in the lake.

The residents of Kasavanahalli checked all the inlets and outlets of the lake and found that no sewage was let into the lake. The fishermen also said the water in the lake is good and that no fishes have died.

Some non-government organisations and water scientists have sent the water samples of the lake to a lab for testing, the results of which will come on Tuesday.

Asha Suresh, local corporator, said her team would conduct an inspection on Monday to check if there is any sewage leakage into the lake from the stormwater drain that runs parallel to the lake.
“If the sewage is entering the lake, we will take immediate action,” she said.