Mira Bhayandar: Thanks to the rescue operations and various awareness campaigns organised by volunteers attached to the Jain Alert Group (JAG) against the deadly manja (kite strings), bird injury and casualty cases during the kite flying festival of Makar Sankranti has been witnessing a noteworthy drop in the twin-city every year since 2008.
Realising the fact that kite flying turns into a virtual death trap for hundreds of birds who lose their lives or become permanently disabled after getting entangled in glass-coated kite strings, volunteers of JAG with the help of veterinary doctors started organising the bird rescue and treatment camps in Bhayandar.
A pigeon receiving treatment | FPJ
The initiative
Under the initiative, anybody finding an injured bird could call up the helpline numbers – 8286862876 or 8286864876 and JAG volunteers would reach the spot and rush the bird to the camp. Birds needing specialized treatment are taken to the Ahinsa Charitable Trust veterinary clinic run by Kaushal Shah. “After starting the treatment camp, we realised how important it was to highlight the deadliness of kite strings to birds flying in the sky — they can lose their wings, leaving them permanently grounded or even die.” said Piyush Dhami.
From conducting exhibitions, rallies, street plays and mock funeral procession of birds to distributing pamphlets and installing banners to highlight the kind of serious injuries inflicted on the avian's by the sharp manjha, the group started launching new initiatives to reach out to people-especially youngsters every year. They even made a documentary film on the subject and highlighted the issue on various social media platforms.
Volunteers at the camp | FPJ
How the figures have come down
“From 853 in 2008 and 558 in 2010 to 250 in 2012 to 35 bird injury cases last year, the campaign has turned scores of young kite fighters into crusaders for birds who have joined hands with the group and vowed not to fly kites. So far only two birds have been brought for treatment to our camp this year.” says Dhami. The JAG claims to have filled forms and given certificates to around 10,000 children who have taken an oath of not flying kites. Next year the volunteers are thinking of organising an athletic sports event for children during Makar Sankranti.
