4 January 2020.

Introduction:

More than 1700 migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh’s famous Pong Dam wetland of Kangara district were found dead under mysterious circumstances . the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease has confirmed H5N1 virus as the cause of the fatalities..

Key Points:

• . The ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease has confirmed H5N1 virus as the cause of the fatalities..
• More than 15 Samples collected from different regions have been sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Uttar Pradesh Bareilly, high security animal disease laboratory situated in Bhopal and to the northern regional disease Diagnostic laboratory in Jalandhar to determine the cause of death.
• Around 95% of birds that were found dead in the Pong Dam Sanctuary were the Bar Headed Geese that migrate from Siberia and Mongolia.

About Pong Dam Sanctuary

• The Pong Dam is also called the Beas dam.
•  It is an artificial embankment Dam constructed across the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh.
• The Reservoir created by the dam is called Maharana Pratap Sagar and is a renowned Bird Sanctuary.
•  The dam was constructed for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation.
• The Maharana Pratap Sagar is located in the wetland zone of Shivalik Hills.
• Around 1.15 to 1.2 lakh birds migrate to Pong Dam Bird Sanctuary during winters
•  Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir one of the International wetland sites of Ramsar convention.