PfA founder Alpana Bhartia gets ready to rescue avian friends as kite flying season approaches

The kite flying season is approaching fast. It is that time of the year when non-government organizations like PfA (People for Animals) receive a large number of bird rescue calls from across India.

According to Alpana Bhartia, the founder of PfA, there has been an increase in the number of cases reported in last few years, wherein the birds were entangled in strings and battling for life. In spite of the ban imposed on manjha, some people are not concerned about the accidents caused by it.

NGOs have recorded a number of instances where birds have died while trying to untangle themselves from the glass-dipped strings.

A lot of cases are not reported, especially in smaller cities. The strings also get entangled on trees and turn into a bird trap. Even humans are at risk, as these strings don’t degrade easily. However, the real threat is caused by manjha as compared to other strings, which are less harmful. “There is absolutely no problem in flying kites, but the real issue starts when people use strings with glass coating which is usually imported from China”, said Alpana Bhartia.

The government did well to ban the Chinese strings, but the locals replaced it by a different type of string known as “Desi Manjha”. The nylon and plastic strings are equally sharp and can cause problems for birds and animals. Organizations like PFA are creating awareness through various campaigns against the use of manjha and other deadly strings.

They have also launched social media campaigns for the “Kite Flying Season”.

The rescuers of PfA are getting ready for the month of January, when they receive the most number of calls. As soon as the kite flying season takes off, rescuers get busy with their work.

“No one is discouraging people to fly kites or enjoy the season of Sankranti, but every individual must understand his role and responsibility towards the nature,” stated Alpana Bhartia, the founder of PFA.

A number of kite festivals are conducted throughout the country where visitors are allowed to fly kites in an eco-friendly environment. Many people are showing interest in these festivals, which is a welcome change.It is high time for us to understand that there is always a fine line between entertainment and degradation.