Afghan Bombing to Affect Birds Migrating to India

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Afghan Bombing to Affect Birds Migrating to India

Last Updated: November 20, 2001 05:47 AM ET

 

By Sugita Katyal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The war in Afghanistan could have a long-term impact

on the health of birds migrating from central Asia to India every year but

the effects may take a while to appear, an Indian ornithologist said on

Tuesday.

 

About 200 species of birds including the Siberian crane, shoveller duck,

crested poacher and Arctic tern begin their journey from Russia and central

Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to India at the end of

October or the beginning of November each year.

 

The birds stop to refuel at many wetlands in Afghanistan during their

6,000-7,000-km (3,750-4,375-mile) journey that takes them to various bird

sanctuaries across India.

 

" The bombing may have a long-term impact on birds migrating to India. The

chemical contents in the bombs could enter the food chain, " Abrar Ahmed,

senior program officer at World Wide Fund for Nature India, told Reuters.

 

Ahmed said while the migration of birds this season had been normal up to

now, ornithologists feared the chemicals released from the bombing could

enter the birds' bodies and affect breeding cycles in the long run.

 

" The chemical contents will be stored in the fat layers of the birds, making

their return journey much tougher. And that could prove fatal, " Ahmed said.

 

" The chemicals can also be passed on to their eggs, " he said.

 

He said past studies on the impact of pesticides on peregrine falcons had

shown that a high content of the non-biodegradable, insecticide aldrin had

led to a decline in the bird population and had also affected the nature of

their egg shells.

 

" The egg shell became so thin that it was crushed by the weight of the

mother, " Ahmed said. " If one chemical could have such an impact, so many

chemicals can certainly pose a danger. "

 

It will not be known until December or January when most of the birds

usually reach their destination in India whether the heavy bombardment of

Afghanistan by U.S.-led forces has reduced the numbers arriving.

 

So far, two Siberian cranes have landed in Bharatpur bird sanctuary in the

northwestern state of Rajasthan, R.K. Singh, assistant director of the

sanctuary, told Reuters.

 

" Birds normally come when there is a full moon. We will get to know if bird

arrivals have been affected during the next full moon in the beginning of

December, " Singh said.

 

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