Two-day Uttarayan festival grounds over 100 birds in Vadodara

While the Forest Department had received over 150 cases of injured bird last year,the department anticipates the number to go higher,as 106 cases have been reported in just two days this year.

“We will get to know of the real numbers as we have all the data by Thursday night. We are also concerned about the accidents that happen after Uttarayan where birds sustain injuries by getting entangled in the strings,” said a forest official.

Some activists have approached the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) to help them during the post-Uttarayan period. “It is an arduous task to remove all the entangled strings,especially on the electric wires. We have asked the GEB to burn the strings after the festival. The numbers of injured birds will be very high for at least the next seven days,” said an animal activist.

Two vultures,six migratory birds killed in Ahmedabad

The celebrations on Uttarayan killed 24 birds,including two vultures and six migratory birds in a single day in the city. Forest officials and NGOs rescued around 500 birds,who sustained injuries because of the kite flying.

The death count of the birds,especially that of vultures,is alarming as it is an endangered species. The Forest department had issued a special appeal a few days before Uttarayan to abstain from flying kites during early morning and evening hours. Sources said over 500 injured birds were rescued by NGOs.

District Forest Officer V J Parsana said,“The birds,which were brought to our rescue centres included vultures,kites,lapwings,pigeons and others.”

The members of the Forests and Environment Department’s ‘Van Chetna’ wing created in collaboration with over 10 NGOs took the seriously injured birds to camps set up for their treatment.

On the day of Uttarayan alone,as many as150 birds were rescued by the members of different NGOs from the city,said Devarshi Shah of Sajag NGO who coordinated the bird camps.

According to the Forest and Environment Department figures,at least 155 birds of various kinds (eagles,vultures,black kites,flamingos,waders,and koels among others) have been injured. Rajesh Nath,a volunteer coordinating the camps organised by the Forest Department and NGOs said,”Five per cent of the birds hit by manjas have succumbed to their injuries.”