Khargone (MP): Around 200 parrots have died along the banks of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district over the past four days, with officials confirming food poisoning as the cause.

The dead birds were found near an aqueduct bridge in the Badwah area, triggering alarm among locals amid fears of bird flu. However, post-mortem examinations have ruled out any avian influenza infection, officials said on Friday.

District Wildlife Warden Tony Sharma said some parrots were rescued alive, but the toxicity of the food they had consumed was so severe that they succumbed soon after. “The poisoning was acute, leaving very little chance of survival,” he said.

Following the incident, the forest department has banned feeding near the aqueduct bridge and deployed staff at the site to ensure strict enforcement of the order. Viscera samples from the birds have been sent to a laboratory in Jabalpur for further analysis.

Veterinary officials said improper feeding habits were primarily responsible for the deaths. Dr Manisha Chauhan, who conducted the post-mortems, said clear symptoms of food poisoning were detected, with no signs pointing to bird flu.

“People often feed birds without realising that certain foods can be harmful or even fatal to their digestive systems,” she said.

Veterinary extension officer Dr Suresh Baghel said rice grains and small pebbles were found in the stomachs of several dead parrots. He added that pesticide exposure from feeding in sprayed agricultural fields, as well as contaminated water from the Narmada, could have contributed to the poisoning.

Officials believe that visitors to the bridge may have fed the birds cooked or leftover food, which proved toxic. Teams from the veterinary department, forest department and wildlife wing have been monitoring the area since residents first reported the deaths.