ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Peacocks in district Tharparkar of Sindh are dying due to lack of nutrition which caused their immunity to decrease.

Hindu residents of the area, who have been feeding them for centuries, have abandoned the practice as they had nothing to eat themselves. Besides, drought and cutting of trees also contributed in decreasing immunity of the birds.

The revelations were made during a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change held at Ministry’s committee room on Monday.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Saeeda Iqbal and members of the committee Rubina Khalid, Surriya Ameeruddin and Mohammad Daud Khan Achakzai also participated in it.

Additional Secretary, Forests and Wildlife Department Sindh, Ijaz Ahmed Nizamani said the first casualty in this regard was reported on July 18 after which vaccination of the birds was started.

According to a report of Poultry Research Centre Korangi, Karachi, birds were dying because of a disease named Newcastle (Rani Khait). Although virus of the disease was active among birds last year but there were less deaths.

“According to our reports, this year, only 38 peacocks died and 30 were sick but media reported that around 250 peacocks had died that created hype due to which matter was taken up at all levels,” he said.

Convener Wildlife Department Sindh, Saeed Baloch said that because of delay in rains, water got contaminated and feed for the birds also decreased in the area and the less feed affected their immune system.“We have around 70,000 peacocks in the area and for the last one week not a single death has been reported. Peacocks affected with the virus were shifted to isolated places.

As many as 40,000 doses of vaccine have been given to the birds,” he added. Rubina Khalid, during the briefing, criticised the staff for not wearing gloves while they treated the birds and said that it was sheer negligence.

Regional Director World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan, Rab Nawaz said that Newcastle was discovered in England in 1926 and it was incurable, however, it could be controlled through vaccination.

“The disease blocks respiratory system of the birds due to which they die within days,” he explained.The WWF teams visited 48 villages and confirmed 69 mortalities, however, according to estimate of WWF around 140 to 150 peacocks had actually been killed, he confirmed.

He further said that a standard operating system (SOP) should be developed against the disease and for that financial aid should be given to Forest and Wildlife Department. Besides, community should be mobilised and awareness should be given to people.

Naeem Bhatti of Punjab Forests and Wildlife Department said there were 12 wildlife parks, 3 zoos and one safari zoo in the province. “Birds of Punjab have not been affected by the disease so far. Therefore, the provincial government has imposed a ban on import on birds from Balochistan and Sindh to save the birds of Punjab.

Rab Nawaz of WWF said that Gilgit-Baltistan government allowed cutting of trees over which WWF has serious concerns.