New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Amid a sharp decline in vulture population, the Delhi High Court was on Tuesday informed the veterinary division of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) was looking at the allegedly toxic impact of certain painkillers on the birds.

The central government counsel told a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad that a comprehensive policy was needed to tackle it and sought time from the court to file a fresh status report on a PIL highlighting a decline in vulture population allegedly on account of the use of certain veterinary drugs.

Also Read | Women in Defence: Special Selection Board to Consider 246 Women Army Officers for Promotion, Centre to Supreme Court.

“A committee was being formed and then CDSCO was asked (to examine the issue). CDSCO, veterinary division is cognisant of this,” said central government lawyer Anurag Ahluwalia.

“Let this matter be called after some time. These meetings are going on and a comprehensive policy needs to come... If we put a total ban on these drugs there would be a ripple effect on other pets,” he added.

Also Read | Billie Eilish Documentary Makers To Develop Feature-Length Doc on Olivia Newton-John.

Observing that it is for the experts to decide, the court granted time to the Centre to file a status report and listed the case for further hearing on April 21.

In May, the high court had asked the Centre to examine the public interest litigation by lawyer Gaurav Bansal raising concern over the decline in vulture population allegedly on account of the use of certain veterinary drugs, and asked it take measures to save the birds that are an important link in the food chain.

The petitioner sought protection and conservation of vultures, claiming there are certain veterinary drugs in the market which are harmful and toxic to these birds and yet no serious efforts have been made by the authorities till date to ban them.

“The major cause and perhaps the only cause of the population decline of vultures in India is the veterinary use of the 'Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug' (NSAIDS) in live stock… Vultures are exposed to toxic level of NSAIDS when they feed on carcasses of livestock which have died within a few days of treatment, and which contain residues of the said NSAIDS,” the petition has said.

According to various studies, exposure to diclofenac, which is also prescribed to humans in India, is a major cause of decline in vulture population.

The petitioner has stated that vultures are a threatened species under the Biological Diversity Act and there is a need to not only ban the toxic drugs but also create an effective mechanism for the safety testing of new molecules before they are introduced for veterinary and human use.

“As per Bombay Natural History Society… population of Oriental White Backed Vulture and Long Billed Vultures had declined by more than 92% between 1991 – 93 and 2000. It is respectfully submitted that as per one more study by the year 2007 the population of vultures had declined by an astonishing 99.9% for Oriental White Backed Vulture and Long Billed Vultures,” the petition has said.

The petition has also emphasised that losing vultures could be catastrophic to any ecosystem and the birds are significant to the Hindu as well as Zoroastrian religion.

The Parsis, who follow Zoroastrian faith, have an unusual method for disposal of the dead. They expose the bodies to the sun and allow them to be eaten by birds of prey like vultures, kites and crows.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)