COIMBATORE: Vulture conservationists across the globe lauded the Tamil Nadu government for leading the country in enforcing the ban on painkiller Nimesulide in the state.
Citing a TNIE article last month (March 12) headlined 'Raids intensified on pharmacies in Coimbatore, Nilgiris over the banned veterinary drug Nimesulide', England-based conservationist and SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction), chairwoman Jemima Parry-Jones congratulated Tamil Nadu for once again taking a far-reaching initiative.
The article said Tamil Nadu's drug administration carried out raids on pharmacies across the state and found banned drugs including Nimesulide were being sold for veterinary use. At least five pharmacies, two each from the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts and one from Tiruppur, were found selling Nimesulide during the drug audit and licences of two of them were cancelled temporarily.
The raids have focused on areas considered for establishing a 'Vulture Safe Zone' in South India.
"It is very clear that the national bans on vulture-toxic veterinary drugs need stronger enforcement in all parts of India. India is taking the initiative but the rulings need stronger follow-up as is being shown by Tamil Nadu. Experimental studies and postmortems of wild vultures suggest Nimesulide ingested from dead animals treated with the drug kills vultures. More states should stand up for vultures by taking and publicising similar steps," said Jemima Parry-Jones.
Experts say ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) had shown how such drugs including ketoprofen, aceclofenac and diclofenac which have been used by vets to treat cattle and other livestock are lethal to vultures feeding on carcasses of recently treated animals.
S Bharathidasan, Secretary of Arulagam, which is a SAVE Associate Partner, praised the prompt action taken by the officials of the Tamil Nadu state government, especially its departments of forest and health.
"There is encouraging momentum for vulture conservation from all sectors of Tamil Nadu," he said.
Chris Bowden, Co-chairperson of IUCN vulture specialist and Advisor of SAVE, hoped more Indian states would follow Tamil Nadu in taking action against the banned drugs.
Likewise, Director of Bombay Natural History Society Kishor Rithe congratulated the Food and Drugs Administration Department of Tamil Nadu for carrying out the raids.
"The Government of India recently imposed a ban on veterinary use of Nimesulide. However, the latest surveys conducted by the BNHS have shown that the drug is still in the pharma stores. I hope other state governments also would take similar steps curbing the veterinary use of Nimesulide," he said.
According to sources, Tamil Nadu had earlier led by example, restricting the use of anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen in 2015, long before its national ban in 2023. It remains the only Indian state to have restricted flunixin, another anti-inflammatory veterinary drug known to be lethal to vultures, but not yet banned.