Mumbai's Kite Festival Causes Widespread Bird Injuries
Mumbai witnessed a distressing situation during the recent Makar Sankranti kite festival. More than 600 birds sustained injuries across the city since January 14th. The festival, celebrated with traditional enthusiasm, turned dangerous for the avian population.
Suburban Areas Bear the Brunt
Suburban regions reported the highest number of injured birds. Activists documented 330 cases from Dahisar, Borivli, Kandivli and Malad. These areas experienced extensive kite flying activities during the festival period.
Mitesh Jain from Karuna Parivar group explained the primary causes. "The illegal Chinese manja and sharp glass-coated threads frequently injure birds in flight," he stated. Jain emphasized that many pigeons and crows became badly entangled in manja mesh hanging from tree branches and building terraces.
"People enjoy flying kites as part of tradition," Jain noted. "However, the leftover manja continues affecting birds for days and weeks afterward."
Rescue Efforts Underway
A special Jeevdaya Bird Rescue Centre opened at Masjid Bunder to address the crisis. The facility rescued at least 20 large birds including eagles, hawks and kites over three days.
Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, provided additional details. "Riwild Sanctuary & Charitable Trust collaborated with RAWW for bird rescues," he said.
Sharma highlighted regulatory failures. "The National Green Tribunal banned glass manjha and Chinese manjha in 2016," he explained. "The ban came after numerous injuries and deaths among birds, animals and humans. These materials also disrupt power lines, causing electrocution risks."
Despite the prohibition, Chinese manjha remains in use. "It has claimed several lives of birds, animals, reptiles and humans," Sharma stated. "The harm continues unabated. Other threads and manjhas still in circulation also endanger people and animals when discarded irresponsibly."
Available Helpline Numbers
Several organizations established helplines for reporting injured birds:
- Riwild Helpline: 7777083504
- RAWW Helpline: 7666680202
- Karuna Trust Virar: 9819477042
- HELP Animals and Birds Association: 9322333338
- State Forest Helpline: 1926
The situation underscores the need for greater awareness about responsible kite flying practices. Traditional celebrations must balance cultural practices with wildlife protection.
