No respite from nylon threat to birds even this Sankranti

PUNE: With the harvest festival of Makar Sankranti just a day away, animal rights activists in the city have called for a ban on the sale and use of the popular ‘Chinese manja’ as it leaves scores of birds injured every year.
This nylon manja is not made in China, but is popularly called so and is popular among people for its strength and durability compared to the cotton manja.“Manja – which is often made using crushed glass, metal or plastic – can cut power lines, causing blackouts, and result in electrocution,” said a representative from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).
S Uma Rani, secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a statutory body under the Union ministry of environment and forests, had written to forest ministers of all states urging them to look into the matter and consider implementing a ban on it. The letter also states that such sharp manja is “deadly for birds such as pigeons, owls, kites, vultures, including those that are endangered species.”
Activists said that killing wildlife animals is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and causing injury to animals is in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty Animals Act, 1960.
“The worst is the popular Chinese manja – in which birds get entangled and injured. The glass-coated manja is also quite dangerous,” said Nikunj Sharma from Peta, that has written to power discoms to create awareness.
“The number of injured birds shoot up during Mankar Sankranti,” said Anil Avchite, a bird activist in the city, who works with the People For Animals (PFA) and the Katraj Zoo rescue center.
Many states and district administrations have now taken proactive steps and banned the nylon manja under various laws, including sections of the Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and state police acts. Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Chennai, East Delhi, Gujarat, Jaipur, Mumbai and Varanasi are among the cities/states that have banned the use of such manja.
But the manja continues to be sold in Pune, with ambiguity among authorities on who should be enforcing the ban. “We have various kinds of manja, but the Chinese or the nylon manja is much in demand even though it is more expensive than the regular cotton thread ones, which start from a mere Rs 20 per roll,” said a kite-shop owner from Ravivar peth. A 1,000-meter roll of nylon manja costs Rs 100-200.
The ministry of environment and forests had issued a letter in September last year to all states and union territory chief secretaries on the dangers posed by the ‘Chinese manja’ or the nylon-based manja. The circular stated that many incidences of injury to birds, electrocution, and death have taken place due to such manja, and urged authorities to take action to ensure such nylon threads or those made from toxic materials such as iron powder and glass powder are not used in kite-flying.
While activists and non-governmental organisations like Peta and PFA campaign for a ban on the nylon kite string, and discourage the use of glass-coated or metal powder coated strings, they have also written to various electricity utilities, who in turn have issued circulars urging people to avoid kite-flying near overhead transmission lines.
“We have started campaigns on social media and distributed pamphlets to spread awareness about the harmful effects of using the Chinese manja,” said Neelesh Bhanage, of Plants and Animal Welfare Society.
Animal welfare board officials say that the new animal welfare act should include penalties on the use and sale of glass-coated or nylon kite strings.
What is ‘Chinese manja’—
‘Chinese manja’ is not from China, but it is a kite flying string which is made from nylon and has become popular in the kite-flying circles, especially during competitions.
The strings are very fine and often birds do not notice them and get entangled in them, getting injured.
These strings are very strong and while they are able to easily break other strings, they do not break easily
Objections and concerns of activists –
Activists say that every year during Makar Sankranti festival, around 100 birds are brought to various hospitals for treatment, who have been entangled or injured by kite-strings
These kite strings are very strong and can even damage electricity transmission lines
Preparations in Pune–
-500 volunteers
- 3 Mobile clinics for birds or other injured animals
- Bird-savers on bikes, who would report cases of bird injuries to the central helpline number and also carry injured birds to mobile clinics or hospitals