Jammu, Aug 16: Festivals are   celebrated to bring the people close, to refresh the bonds of love and make these stronger, to spread an environment of merriment and religious fervor all over the country.  But contrary to this notion, the recently concluded festivals of Rakhsa Bandan and Janamasthami that are associated with the kite flying are proving dangerous for birds as the ‘Manjha’ (thread used to fly the kites) is proving fatal for  birds.
 The trails of sharp thread stuck to the trees become a virtual death trap for the innocent birds.
 The thread used for flying kites wedged to lofty trees, wires and poles create a web of it in which the innocent birds get entangled and die miserable death every year.
 Many birds get injured with the sharp thread while many remain hanged and entangled alive on trees for many days and die a horrible slow death without food and water. 
 Champa Jamwal, of Village Sunjwan, who saved a bird that was injured with the sharp thread said she found a crow near a drain trying hard to drink the water.  When she observed it carefully she found right wing of the crow was entangled with thread and crushed.
 She said, “I caught hold of the bird with difficulty and brought it to home. I asked my daughter to cut the thread with scissors. She did it with difficulty. It is sad that the bird can’t still fly as its wing is injured as well as broken.  ”.
 The thread that is used to fly the kites is made more sharp and strong by coating it with glass powder, metal powder and starch. The sharp thread does rot easily and remain hung around on the electric poles, wires and trees for many months. When birds sit on them they get entangled. Due to which many birds die, many get injured, some loose their limb and can’t fly. 
 So far no NGO or any other voluntary organization and even wildlife authorities have taken notice of this grave situation. “The immediate step that can be taken in this direction is to create awareness to save the birds or aware the people to use simple thread or fly kites in open grounds so that the birds can be saved from such damnation,” said an expert.
 For now, most of birds caught in such a situation die unnoticed and only a few are   rescued if they luckily catch the eye of a nice person. 
 Manu Kumar, of canal road, said “Few years back I saw an eagle dying an awful death because of same reason”.
 “In front of IGNOU main Office in premises of SPMR College of Commerce there is a huge Banyan Tree. We went to play there in the ground in the evening. For two three days I heard the cries of some bird. I noticed that voice was coming from the banyan tree. I went down the tree and saw an eagle hanging down with its legs trapped in thread. I tried to rescue the bird but I failed as the tree was quite lofty and I was unable to reach the bird to get it free. The bird remained there for around two weeks without food and water and then died,” said Manu Kumar.
 When contacted wildlife warden, Tahir Shawl, said, ‘No such case has been reported to me till this time as such if we come to know about such case we immediately send our team. Even two years ago wildlife team rescued a bird (eagle) in front of AG Office.”
  “Such cases mostly go unreported at large” adding that from next year wildlife department would organize awareness camps in schools to create awareness among children about use of Manjha,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST