Hauz Khas park to open by next weekend

The District Park in Hauz Khas which has been closed for more than 15 days now due to the bird flu scare will open by the end of next week.

The District Park in Hauz Khas which has been closed for more than 15 days now due to the bird flu scare will open by the end of next week.

The District Park in Hauz Khas which has been closed for more than 15 days now due to the bird flu scare will open by the end of next week.

The popular park in the heart of South Delhi was shut down by the authorities on October 20 after eight birds succumbed to avian flu. The toll reached around 45 in next five days.

A senior official of Delhi Development Authority, the agency that maintains the park, said, “There has been no duck death reported from the park for the past 10 days. The situation is completely under control now and if it continues to be how it is, we will open the park by the next weekend.”

The park spread around 90 acres is the favourite area for morning walkers and joggers living in Hauz Khas, Saket, Vasant Kunj, Safdarjung, INA, Green Park and various other areas of South Delhi.

“We are in regular touch with senior doctors of Delhi government and medical experts regularly conduct inspection in the park. Though, the park at present is safe for human beings to enter but we do not want to take any risk, therefore, we will be observing the birds’ behaviour for one more week.”

Director Animal Husbandry department, Delhi government, said, “We have been regularly doing inspection at Hauz Khas park and no ducks’ death have been reported from here since past 10 days.”

Of the 45 birds that died in the park, reports of three samples sent to a laboratory in Bhopal confirmed it as H5N8 — a less virulent avian influenza.

Thereafter, special squad was formed of three members to do spraying along the park and keep a close supervision on the birds that shows sign of illness. The ducks that showed signs of sickness were separated from others so that the disease doesn’t spread.

“We are still spraying medicine on birds and feeding them multi-vitamins and ginger,” he said.