Hundreds of flamingos are dying of electrocution daily as they fly into high-voltage electricity cables on the outskirts of Bhavnagar city. The situation is made worse by stray dogs which attack these birds, causing the flock to take off in panic and hit the high-tension lines.
After Times of India reported the incident, officials visited the 300-hectare marsh on the outskirts of Bhavnagar on Sunday. Officials of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO) claim that there could be reasons other than electrocution for the flamingo deaths. However, members of the Dharmakumarsinhji Nature Conservation Society, which had reported the incident, said the bodies of the flamingoes were found mostly below the wires. They also said the flamingos could be seen falling after hitting the wires.
GETCO officials believe that they could find a solution immediately (like coating the wires with an insulator, diverting the line or taking it underground) if electrocution is the main cause.
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