NGOs to help winged friends during kite festival in Gujarat

For animal lovers, the annual kite flying festival of Gujarat is one of the most unfortunate created disasters for the avian community.

Over 2,000 birds get injured or die annually in Ahmedabad. And like every year, this year too NGOs will join hands to provide   safety and care to the birds.

Jivdaya Charitable Trust, in collaboration with 20 other NGOs of the city, is setting up a hospital at Panjrapol and rescue teams across the city to save the birds under the campaign 'Help The Birds' (HTB) starting from January 12-17.

Trustee Kartik Shastri says, "HTB is an annual campaign, where all the members join hands with the forest department and Wildlife Rescue Centre, to save birds from injuries by maanja or kite strings during Uttarayan. Efforts are also made to save these birds from succumbing to their injuries."

The centre stays open till birds are healed and often works beyond January 17. There will be 35 rescue teams and satellite centres.

Shastri said, "This time around we will have 45 doctors two each from UK, Nepal and Goa; three from Mumbai; two from BNHS Tinjore Vulture Care Centre; three from SACON centre at Coimbatore; seven from Jivdaya Trust and 15 each from Anand and Datiwada Universities."

Last year, the trust had rescued 1,865 birds of which 200 birds could not survive. The survival rate was 74%, said Shastri. 36 species were found last year, falcon, white rumped vultures, steppe eagle, barn owl, pelican, flamingo, shikra (birds of prey) and more.