6 yrs on, ducks to charm visitors at Sukhna Lake once again

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 27

After six years, residents will get to see beautiful ducks in Sukhna Lake once again. Sources said UT Adviser Manoj Kumar Parida had directed the Chief Conservator of Forests to allow an NGO to release ducks in the lake after a proper medical checkup and following due procedure.

Rahul Mahajan, an environmentalist and founder of an NGO, Organic Sharing, said it was a welcome step. In a letter to the Adviser last week, Majahan had demanded to allow ducks at the lake as residents were missing these for long. Mahajan said they had a deep bond with ducks for years. He said he grew up playing and watching these.

All ducks and geese on the island in Sukhna Lake were culled after one of the birds was found to be affected by the H5N1 avian flu virus in 2014.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture had directed the Administration to take necessary action to control and contain the disease. After a detailed discussion, it was decided to cull all birds. Since then, the lake does not have any ducks. Mahajan said their NGO would release the ducks on their own expenses soon and would also help the Administration in taking care of the ducks at the lake in the future.

Though Sukhna is home to many migratory birds, which fly from the Himalayas and far-off places like Central Asia, Siberia, Europe, China and Japan, local ducks were the charm of the visitors.

Sanjiv Chadha, a regular visitor to the lake, said it is a good decision.