HYDERABAD: In an alarming instance, which is raising concerns about heavy water pollution, many birds of various species, were found dead at Kistareddypet lake that is located between Sangareddy and Medchal districts.
The birds included river terns, green sandpipers and possibly garganey, a migratory duck. The dead birds were seen on December 24, 26 and January 2, following which officials from pollution control board (TGPCB) collected water samples for testing.
Three students visited the lake for bird watching on different days. One Ibrahim Wadood went on December 24, Anshul Gupta two days later, while Abhishek Shroti went to the spot on Thursday. Gupta said, “We went around 6.30 am to spot flamingos. But we saw a dead bird near the lake and, when we looked closer, we found more. It was frighteningly strange because we don’t usually see dead birds while bird-watching. We don’t know if the cause is pollution or an animal attack.”
Experts say birds usually stay away from polluted water because of their strong senses. If pollution is the cause, it might be coming from something that is indirectly affecting the environment around the lake. Local officials also pointed out that there have been no bird deaths in the area before, which makes this situation a bigger concern.
The anti-poaching squad and other authorities are now involved in the investigation to find out the cause and initiate measures to stop such future incidents.
However, Kistareddypet lake has faced water pollution problems in the past, mainly due to industrial and household waste. Some officials believe this may be the reason for the recent deaths of birds.
Officials plan to visit the lake again to check which birds are affected and find out what caused their deaths. More inspections are likely once reports of the water samples are submitted.
