Makar Sankranti 2024: Three-day camp in Mumbai to treat injured birds, animals

In light of the Makar Sankranti 2024 a threeday camp began on Saturday in Mumbai to treat birds and other wildlife injured due to discarded kite strings a forest official said reported the PTIThe camp is being held by the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare RAWW in collaboration with RiWild Sanctuary and the forest department the official saidSeveral birds animals and reptiles are injured after getting entangled in discarded kite strings during Makar Sankranti every year said Pawan Sharma founder and president of RAWW and the honorary wildlife warden of the forest departmentThe glasscoating on kite strings or manja proves fatal for birds and animals and many of them lose wings and limbs said Dr Rina Dev president of the RiWild SanctuaryWe are trying to spread awareness among people about celebrating the festival responsibly and ensuring that they dont use glasscoated strings to fly kites We appeal to citizens to fly kites in open spaces and not discard strings everywhere Sharma said according to the PTIThe threeday treatment camp is being held in the western suburb of Khar and will continue till Monday it was statedMeanwhile Mumbai Police on Friday issued a preventive order banning nylon manja ahead of Makar Sankranti 2024 The order said that the use of it would be a punishable offenceMumbai Police said that it is observed every year that during the kite flying festival injury is caused to people an birds on account of pucca thread made out of plastic or similar such synthetic material commonly known as nylon manja these injuries many a times turn out to be fatal causing death of people and birds and it is therefore desirable to protect people and birds from the fatal effects of the kite flying thread made out of nylon or plastic or synthetic threadThe order said extensive use of such synthetic thread which are non biodegradable often result in flashover on the power lines and substations which may cause power interruptions to consumers straining and damaging of electrical assets cause accidents injuries to wildlife and loss of life damage to environment and therefore it is necessary to prevent use of such nylon manja for kite flyingThe preventive order was issued by Vishal Thakur DCP Operations MumbaiThe order said It is desirable to protect birds which are getting extinct day by day and classified as rare and endangered species In Makar Sankranti the kite festival kite flying takes place in large scale all over Mumbai and hence following order was being issuedFor the period of 30 days ie 12012024 to 10022024 a ban on the use sale and storage of the pucca threads commonly known as nylon manja made of the plastic or any such synthetic material which is likely to cause grievous injury to the birds as well as to human beings especially during the festivals where kite flying is played in the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police CommissionerateMumbai Police order further said this order shall remain in force with effect from 0001 hrs of 12012024 till 2400 hrs of 10022024 unless withdrawn earlier Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code 1860