60 per cent rise in bird injuries during Diwali: Veterinarians

NEW DELHI: Nearly 60 per cent rise in cases of bird injuries in Delhi are reported at the time of Diwali due to pollution and burning, asserted the veterinary doctors and animal rescue teams in the city.

The doctors also added that a number of birds lose their eyesight due to extensive use of the firecrackers and toxic pollutants.

The team of Wildlife Rescue at Chawri Bazar said, "The number of cases of bird injuries rises by 60 per cent in Diwali. Nearly 40 per cent of these birds lose their eyesights and meet with accidents, 30 per cent get burn injuries due to firecrackers and another 30 per cent fall sick due to respiratory problems because of the pollution."

However, the team asserted that there is no available exact data of these injuries but from their experience on every Diwali this is the common result.

Agreeing to this argument, veterinary doctor Satish Kumar Verma said that during Diwali, the pollution level increases and most of the bird stay in open spaces hence get affected.

"They cannot see in the daytime due to these gases and all the air level get covered with these gases, so the birds cannot avoid this exposure," Verma explained.

The city-based bird doctors also said that due to the excess amount of toxic exposures some of the birds also suffer from permanent blindness.

The doctors explained that ground-level ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), two of the very common air pollutants cause irreversible damage to bird's lungs.

These oxidants are also allergic in nature so some of the birds get affected by allergic reactions.

Long-term exposures to these toxins can lead to inflammation, ruptured blood vessels, and lung failure.

"Birds are exposed more to airborne particles than humans as the birds have higher breathing rate. They also spend more time in the open areas as compared to a human. Extra-fine particles, especially those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, are small enough to lodge into the deepest branches of their lungs," said senior doctor of Jain Bird Charitable Hospital, New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the city-based bird rescue team workers said that in Diwali, the birds also suffer from burn injuries due to firecrackers as they also directly come under the effect of crackers.

"It is very difficult to rescue a bird from burn injuries as they start flying and the fire spread over the whole body. We guess the ban on crackers will save the lives of many birds," said a senior rescue team member.