By Tejash Modi, Surat, 16 January 2012

The December/January season of kite flying this year has killed/injured at least another couple of thousand birds across Gujarat.

Presented above is a video of the funeral of dead birds organized by one of the bird lover organizations that was active during Uttarayan in rescuing the birds injured due to sharp kite flying string. These many of birds died in only one area of Surat.

While the state government has banned China made kite flying string, the fact is that even locally made sharp manjas are enough sharp to kill the birds. They are not banned. Did you notice the advertisements in local newspapers offering ktie flying thread sharp like a diamond, or manja that is named as AK 56 and defined as the most ‘ghaatak’ thread? These are local manjas that too kill the birds.

Next year on, the Municipal Corporation staff can remove seasonal encroachment of footpath side charkhas set up in December/January by migrated ustads who supply glass paved manja on order. Next year, the government needs to strongly impose ban over all kind of sharp manjas and advertisements offering to sell sharper kite flying threads.

Every year losing few thousand birds in couple of months is not good for the state which is known for its pro-jivadaya culture.

We have some figures from Surat based NGOs about Uttarayan related bird rescue calls. NGO Prayas received 314 calls and registered 25 deaths of birds, similarly Nature club received 107 calls for bird rescue and death toll was 20, Civil hospital got 203 calls and 15 birds were found dead, Omkar Mandal had 263 calls and 13 birds were dead. Beauty without brutality had 72 calls and noted one death of bird, Fire brigade had 18 calls.

To create awareness about the killings of birds, one of the NGOs had organized funeral procession of dead birds. Similar procession was also organized in Vadodara too. Hope next year, more awareness and more enforcement shall be witnessed.