Manja takes toll on black kites at Indira Park: 7 out of 28 trapped kites die

Ameenpur-based Animal Warriors Conservation Society rescued 28 black kites trapped in nylon manja from Indira Park in January during Sankranti kite-flying season

Sangareddy: Highlighting the need for a stricter crackdown on the use of Chinese manja, seven out of 28 black kites that there were rescued from Indira Park, have died.

Indira Park, a prominent nesting place for blacks in the State capital, saw the Ameenpur-based Animal Warriors Conservation Society (AWCS) rescuing 28 black kites trapped in nylon manja from there in January during the Sankranti kite-flying season.

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Out of the 180 birds they rescued in January, AWCS founder Pradeep Nair said 28 rescues were done at Indira Park. Since the trees and canopy in Indira Park were full of discarded nylon manja, the birds were getting entangled in the manja.

Out of 28 birds rescued, seven of them died while recovering from manja injuries at the AWCS’s rehabilitation centre at Bommanikunta near Patancheru while four kites were permanently disabled. Since people fly kites at Necklace Road, Parade Grounds and a few other spots close to the park, the banned manja had fallen on the trees in the park.

To make the park safe for avians, AWCS has decided to remove all the manja by roping in volunteers. They are joining hands with the Forest Department for this. Unless they clean the park, more birds will get trapped in the manja, Additional Commissioner (Urban Biodiversity) VVL Subhadra Devi said.

The AWCS-Forest department clean-up drive will be taken up on Saturday. HCL Foundation is also supporting the AWCS in taking up the clean-up drive.