The Leftover Of Kite Flying Celebrations - A Lot Of Broken Strings And Hundreds Of Injured Birds

Kite flying is an integral part of the Independence Day celebrations, particularly in densely populated areas of North India. People see this as an expression of joy while reminding that world that they are free. A kite in the sky perhaps reflects that. However, it has another reality - the kites dancing in the open sky are tied to lethal strings.

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Chinses manjha, the kite string that can kill

While kite flying is fun it has also a potentially deadly side - the kite strings.

Popularly known as Chinese Manjha, the synthetic kite strings are laced with glass powder, to give them extra sturdiness.

But like any other kite strings, Chinese Manjha will also break and are often discarded after that by those flying them.

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That is when it starts becoming dangerous - as they are nearly invisible they have proven fatal, especially for those on two-wheelers.

In the past few weeks, several incidents have been reported in which people riding two-wheelers were killed or badly injured after coming into contact with broken Chinese Manjha, often hanging from buildings, trees, and other structures close to the road.

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How birds get killed by Chinese Manjha

Mishaps involving humans and Chinese Manjha still get reported in media, what largely goes unreported is how deadly the kite strings, which are officially banned are, to birds and animals.

Every year, the weeks before and after Independence Day are busy times for animal and bird rescuers and the Fire Department get flooded with calls about injured birds.

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More than 300 calls to Fire Department in August

This year, in the first three weeks of August the Delhi Fire Department received more than 300 calls about injured birds, most of them blamed on Chinese Manjha.

On Independence Day alone 55 calls were made to the Fire Force about injured birds.

Bird rescue charities in and around Delhi also have similar stories.

¡°The most common and affordable variety of string is the Chinese Manjha. These strings are so sharp they can cut through the flesh and bone of a bird. Even though this is a phenomenon which is widespread throughout the year, the concentration of these incidents is higher during occasions such as Makar Sankranti and Independence Day. They are non-biodegradable, making them an environmental hazard. The strings are found lying in wait for their next victim in the same spot even after years,¡± Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said.

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Bird rescue hospitals in Delhi

The Charity Birds Hospital, in Chandni Chowk, has seen an increase in the number of injured birds being brought to them in recent days.

Most birds have deep injuries on their wings or body, from the Chinese Manjha which can cut through their delicate flesh and even bones.

A large number of these birds, especially the smaller ones like pigeons, won't survive and die during the treatment.

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Wildlife Rescue, another bird hospital run by two brothers in Delhi's Wazirabad also has seen an increase in the number of calls in recent weeks seeking help.

"Due to the increase in kite flying activity in Delhi, there is an increase in the number of injured birds we receive. We also get birds from other veterinary hospitals as they don't treat birds of prey," Nadeem Shahzad, one of the brothers who run the hospital told Indiatimes.

How injured birds are treated

According to him the treatment of each bird depends on the nature of its injury.

"If it is a minor cut, that can be treated with basic medicines and the birds will make full recovery in around two weeks. But if the injuries are deep, and it has to be fixed surgically it will take a longer time to recover. Some might also die during the treatment," he said.

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The brothers who have an enclosure for recovering birds on their rooftop keep them there until they are fit to be released back to nature.

"Even if a bird has its one leg amputated, it can be released as it can survive on its own. But if the wing is amputated or if a bird was late in getting treatment and cannot make a full recovery, we keep them with us in the enclosure as long as they are alive," he said.

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It is not just Chinese Manjha

He rejected the popular notion that only Chines Manjhas are dangerous to birds.

"Any kind of kite threads, including the white cotton ones can cause injuries to birds. The broken strings can get stuck anywhere like buildings, trees poles, etc., and if a bird flies through it or sits on it can get trapped and die there, due to starvation," he said.

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Only few birds get rescued

He also added that only a small portion of the birds that get tangled in these strings are ever rescued.

"Only around 20 per cent of birds will ever make it to the hospitals, the remaining eighty per cent get killed. Some die of strangulation, others might fly with the string tangled on their body and get stuck somewhere and die. Smaller birds like pigeons, if they get injured gets eaten by dogs or cats. If it a bigger bird like kite or an eagle, it has better chances of reaching a hospital and getting treatment," he said.

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