‘Injured Bird’ on a Giant Kite Asks Lucknow Residents to Consider Birds Ahead of Makar Sankranti
A PETA India and Ashray Foundation supporter dressed in a “bloodied” bird costume and tangled in “glass-coated manja” lay on a giant kite that read, “Glass-Coated Strings Cut Birds’ Wings” and “Say No to Deadly Manja!”. The action aimed to spread awareness that cotton threads coated with glass and metal powder and nylon manja are responsible for the injury and death of humans and thousands of birds each year and to appeal to the public to avoid these materials to ensure that kite-flying is safe and fun for all.
All forms of manja put humans, other animals, and the environment at risk. Razor-sharp strings reinforced with glass powder and metal have a disastrous impact on bird populations, including endangered species such as vultures. Thousands of birds are killed each year, often as a result of blood loss, when they’re maimed by the material. Many become trapped by manja caught on trees or buildings – some escape wounded only to die slowly, and others perish after becoming stuck in places that are not easily visible, which often means that rescuers are not alerted to their need for help. Manja frequently remains wrapped around trees, poles, and buildings and pollutes the environment.
Manja also results in many human deaths. In Mumbai in December, a 37-year-old constable died from injuries to the throat after coming into contact with manja. In Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh in February, a 25-year-old man sustained injuries to the throat from the material, and in Gujarat in January last year, 11 people died from manja and 1281 accidents were reported in the state in just two days.
Manja also causes costly blackouts and deaths from electrocution. Power distribution companies have warned against flying kites around electricity supply lines as it can result in fires and outages due to short-circuiting.
