Wildlife experts said increased use of manjha strings for competitive kite flying has triggered a 104% increase in the number of bird injuries and rescues in Bengaluru since the onset of Covid-19.
Last year's lockdown plus social distancing regulations are said to have prompted the increase, even though the use of manjha is illegal.
“Manjha use usually escalates in the run-up to and after Sankranti every January, but in 2020, we saw a substantial increase in the number of rescues especially after the nationwide lockdown fell into place,” explained Dr Colonel Nawaz Shariff, General Manager of the NGO, People for Animals (PFA).
In 2019, PFA and a second wildlife rescue unit, the Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) rescued 606 birds entangled in manjha strings. However, from January 2020 to the present, this number increased to 1,240 birds.
“The cheap availability of transparent nylon string, despite it being banned by the National Green Tribunal has precipitated matters,” Dr Shariff added. Manjha use comes with the threat of upto five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both.
While Dr Shariff said that techies are involved in manjha use, by and large, the major users are children and teenagers, added Jayanthi Kallam, Executive Director of ARRC.
“With the danger of Covid-19, children are no longer permitted to engage in contact sports. This has led to a surge in competitive kite flying,” she said.
She explained that cut thread usually settled down on trees, snaring birds. “Most rescues documented involve large birds. Somebody sees the birds flapping in the trees and calls a rescue centre, but smaller birds like barbets are less noticed,” she said.
“We suspect that many smaller birds just die,” Dr Shariff added, explaining the true scale of the problem is likely massive.
According to data shared by PFA and ARRC, the largest numbers of birds rescued from 2020 to now have been large birds, such as black and brahminy kites, house crows, jungle crows, barn owls and Indian flying foxes. Numbers of smaller birds, such as mynas and barbets, are significantly lower. Some exotic birds have also been snared in the city such as one pelican (in J P Nagar).
According to data, the majority of cases have been reported in Koramangala, Domlur, Cottonpet, Majestic, Shivajinagar, Ulsoor, RT Nagar, Malleshwaram, J C Nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, Jayanagar, Basaweshwar nagar, Basavanagudi, Rajajinagar, Timber layout, Chamrajpet, Malleshwaram, K R Market, Guddadahalli and JP Nagar.