Gandhinagar: Like every year, ‘Karuna Abhiyan’ campaign will be run in the state during 10th to 20th January 2022 to treat the birds injured due to the kite strings during Kite flying festival. The forest department of State government will operate control rooms in all the talukas from 7 am to 6 pm during the campaign period.

The forest department has also launched a WhatsApp number and a website for immediate treatment of the injured birds during Uttarayan festival. District-wise information of bird treatment centers can be received by messaging ‘Karuna’ on WhatsApp number 8320002000 or from website htttp://bit.ly.karunaabhiyan.

the treatment for injured birds will be also available from the helpline number 1962. Over 700 bird treatment centers, over 620 doctors and over 6000 volunteers will join this campaign, as per a note. Around over 50 thousand birds have been treated under Karuna Abhiyan in the last 5 years, as stated in a note.

It’s worth noting that the State government had launched Karuna ambulance service for treating animals and birds on the line of ‘108’ emergency service for humans. During the period of Kite flying festival which is marked every year on 14-15 January, millions of people across Gujarat go to their terraces and fly kites. String used to fly kites cause injury to birds on trees and in the sky. In order to reduce the threat, the government has banned Chinese manja, a lethal variety of kite string that is too sharp to danger the life of humans as well as birds. The government since last few years, augment all available resources to make Karuna abhiyan successful. State forest department, animal husbandry department, fire brigade in various cities, volunteers, veterinary doctors, animal-care organizations all are roped in to save maximum number of birds. Many times, even after Kite flying festival is over, the left-over manja (kite string) continue to injure the birds. The government also issues advisory every year to avoid flying kites during the morning and evening hours when birds are in maximum movement. DeshGujarat