<p>Mumbai: In a push for wildlife conservation, the Haryana government has launched a massive enforcement drive to eliminate the sale and use of veterinary painkillers known to be lethal to vultures; thanks to the efforts and relentless campaign of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).</p><p>On January 15, 2026, authorities carried out extensive inspections at wholesale and retail chemist shops across Haryana.</p>.BNHS rewilding efforts attract Himalayan griffon vulture spotted in Maharashtra .<p> The state has deployed inspection teams to 113 wholesale and retail chemist shops, collecting 93 drug samples for urgent laboratory testing.</p><p>Authorities confirmed that the samples have been sent to government-approved labs, warning that strict legal action will be initiated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act if violations are found. The move aims to reverse the catastrophic decline in vulture populations caused by toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) entering the food chain.</p><p>Experts at the BNHS Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre in Pinjore explained that drugs such as diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, and nimesulide cause acute kidney failure and visceral gout in vultures. </p><p>When livestock are treated with these medicines shortly before death, the residues remain in the carcass. Even if less than one per cent of carcasses are contaminated, it is enough to decimate entire colonies, with birds often dying within 24 to 48 hours of feeding.</p><p>Highlighting the importance of the crackdown, BNHS Director Kishor Rithe praised Haryana’s enforcement as a model for other states.</p><p>“Haryana has emerged as a model for other states by taking proactive and decisive steps to safeguard vultures. The large-scale survey of 113 chemist shops to check the availability and use of banned veterinary NSAIDs shows a serious commitment to enforcement and wildlife conservation. Such coordinated action at the state level sends a powerful message that protecting biodiversity must go hand in hand with regulatory vigilance,” said Rithe.</p>
<p>Mumbai: In a push for wildlife conservation, the Haryana government has launched a massive enforcement drive to eliminate the sale and use of veterinary painkillers known to be lethal to vultures; thanks to the efforts and relentless campaign of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).</p><p>On January 15, 2026, authorities carried out extensive inspections at wholesale and retail chemist shops across Haryana.</p>.BNHS rewilding efforts attract Himalayan griffon vulture spotted in Maharashtra .<p> The state has deployed inspection teams to 113 wholesale and retail chemist shops, collecting 93 drug samples for urgent laboratory testing.</p><p>Authorities confirmed that the samples have been sent to government-approved labs, warning that strict legal action will be initiated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act if violations are found. The move aims to reverse the catastrophic decline in vulture populations caused by toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) entering the food chain.</p><p>Experts at the BNHS Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre in Pinjore explained that drugs such as diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, and nimesulide cause acute kidney failure and visceral gout in vultures. </p><p>When livestock are treated with these medicines shortly before death, the residues remain in the carcass. Even if less than one per cent of carcasses are contaminated, it is enough to decimate entire colonies, with birds often dying within 24 to 48 hours of feeding.</p><p>Highlighting the importance of the crackdown, BNHS Director Kishor Rithe praised Haryana’s enforcement as a model for other states.</p><p>“Haryana has emerged as a model for other states by taking proactive and decisive steps to safeguard vultures. The large-scale survey of 113 chemist shops to check the availability and use of banned veterinary NSAIDs shows a serious commitment to enforcement and wildlife conservation. Such coordinated action at the state level sends a powerful message that protecting biodiversity must go hand in hand with regulatory vigilance,” said Rithe.</p>