Taking the fight against viruses to its next challenge, bird flu, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued guidelines to prevent the spread in the city following directives from the state government. The civic body’s disaster control room received around 55 calls from citizens reporting dead birds till Tuesday afternoon. 

The civic corporation has said that dead birds must be immediately reported on the helpline number 1916. The complaint will be forwarded to the relevant ward control room and an assistant engineer from the Solid Waste Management department would ensure their proper burial. An assistant engineer of the department in each ward has been appointed as the officer to deal with bird deaths.