On Monday, July 19, hundreds of birds including sparrows and cuckoos were found dead on a farm in Sila Barpeta. It is believed that the avians died due to consuming crops sprayed with poison. The sight of birds dying all over has evoked a strong reaction among the bird lovers of the state.
Reportedly Harakumar Sharma of Sila had mortgaged his two and a-five bighas of land to a Pazir Ali.
Pazir Ali, later subleased the same piece of agricultural land to the two men, Asmat Ali and Navab Ali of Pakad village for rice cropping.
Two days ago, two cultivators had started harvesting Shalidhan in this land. After harvesting, the cultivators had mixed poisonous substances with the grain. Locals suspect that birds of various species including pigeons, domestic ducks and many more have died due to consumption of the poison-infused grains.
Eyewitnesses put the number at more than 300 hundred dead birds.