Eco activists laud kite strings ban…..Simit Bhagat
Mumbai: The polices initiative to ban the sale of glass-coated strings,used in flying kites,has brought smiles on the faces of nature lovers.
Every year during Makar Sankrantithe kite flying festivalhundreds of birds die or get injured after coming in contact with the strings.We are happy that the police are planning to ban the use of such strings, said Dr J C Khanna,secretary,Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Soon,a circular will be issued to all police stations to disallow the sale of the strings during the festival,which is on January 14.Violators can be imprisoned for a month or fined up to Rs 200.
Animal welfare groups have been campaigning in recent years against the strings.Several species of birds,including kites,owls,falcons,crows,pigeons and raptors,get injured during the festival.
Groups like the Plant and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) set up special teams for dealing with bird injuries.Sunish Subramanian,founder,PAWS,said: Our ambulance will be working throughout the day,and we will ensure that all injured birds get proper medical attention.
Meanwhile,keeping in mind that most veterinary hospitals are unable to cope with the number of injured birds during the festival,the nature club of the Bombay Veterinary College,Goregaon (East),has organized a workshop on first aid for and management of injured birds at 4 pm for citizens.
Nishit Gokarn,a club member,said: They can rescue an injured bird themselves,instead of waiting for an animal lover to do so.