Rajasthan: At least 8,000 migratory birds' carcasses found around Sambhar Lake

At least 8,000 migratory birds' carcasses have been collected so far in and around the Sambhar Lake area, Rajasthan, said Jagroop Singh Yadav, District Collector, Jaipur.

"Migratory birds do visit Sambhar region. Due to prior rains this year, the migratory birds came a bit early here. This is a universal phenomenon that a few birds die due to changed climatic conditions when they migrate," added Yadav.

The District Collector told that these deaths are probably caused due to Avian Botulism, a serious neuromuscular illness of birds caused by a toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium.

"When the maggots attack the birds' body and other birds eat them, their wings and legs get paralysed which is also known as botulism," said Yadav.

The District Collector further said that as soon as he was informed about the migratory birds dying in Sambhar, he had sent one team to collect their samples and further send them to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

"We have collected at least 8,000 carcasses of birds have been collected from country's largest inland saltwater lake - Sambhar Lake situated in Jaipur. The rescue operation of finding and collecting the carcasses commenced on November 10," he added.

Yadav further stated that as many as 90 Civil Defence personnel and other rescue force personnel carried out the rescue operation in and around the lake.

Around 1,000 birds were found dead around Sambhar Lake situated in Jaipur on Tuesday, November 12.

The carcasses include not only the indigenous but also migratory birds that flock to the lake each year.

Soon after that, terming the birds' death as 'worrying,' the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the government was taking "immediate steps to prevent deaths during this migratory season.