Siberian ducks swarm the Parulia lake. Picture by Amit Datta

Margram, (Birbhum), Jan. 18: Around 400 “potential carriers” of the bird flu virus who come from as far away as Siberia every year continue to crowd a lake in Parulia village.

Parulia Dighi, only 5km from the flu-hit part of Mayureswar block, has traditionally been a haven for the birds who stay from the onset of winter to February.

Their occasional shrill cries amid the splashing around in search of fish broke the silence around the lake today but did not reach the animal husbandry department.

“The birds come here every winter. We love them. But no official has visited the area or told us about the dangers they pose to us,” said Bhagirath Let.

Told about how the virus could travel trough these birds, like the chickens in his backyard, Bhagirath, 55, said he was hearing about such a possibility for the first time.

An apparent lack of co-ordination among forest and animal resource development officials and the Birbhum district administration has put hundreds of villagers and their chickens at risk.

Animal resource officials said they were not aware of any migratory bird habitat here. “Please give us the name of the area and our team will go there,” said a senior official.

Burdwan district forest officer Kalyan Kumar Ghosh, who is also in charge of Birbhum, said he had not received any instruction from the district administration.

“A team from the Centre’s wildlife wing will visit the district tomorrow,” said Ghosh.

A forest official said the migratory birds run the risk of travelling through affected areas and coming in contact with local birds in infected zones. These birds are also swimming in the Parulia lake, leaving their droppings and feathers in the water and the land around, from where the infection may spread.

Three lakes in Bolpur town are also home to about 3,000 Siberian ducks now.

The central team will coll-ect blood samples of the birds in the lakes of Bolpur and Parulia and send them for tests.

“The migratory birds will be culled if the samples test positive,” Ghosh said.

However, district magistrate Tapan Kumar Som said the administration had already decided to kill the birds. “We’ll complete the culling operation in the villages and start the operation in these water bodies,” he said.

Forest minister Ananta Ray was unaware of the developments. “I have not discussed this aspect with my officials.”