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Be careful not to hurt birds during Uttarayan: Guj Govt

Last Updated 03 January 2010, 14:07 IST

In the appeal made on Saturday, principal secretary of the department S K Nanda, requested people not to use thread made out of plastic or any other synthetic material which could include toxics like iron dust and glass dust.

"During the kite festivals, injury is caused to birds and humans due to the 'pucca thread' (manja) made out of plastic or synthetic material," Nanda's statement said. "While we enjoy the Uttarayan festival by flying kites, it is our duty to protect the innocent birds including vultures which are getting extinct day by day," it said.

Nanda requested people to avoid kite flying in early morning (dawn) and evening (dusk) hours as these are the hours when there is maximum activity of birds in the sky. He said the state government has taken various measures including setting up collection centres for injured birds for treatment jointly with voluntary organisations and NGOs.

A helpline has also been started for people to inform about any bird injury during the kite festival, Nanda said. The thread (manja) used to fly kites is coated with a mixture of glue, fine glass power and synthetic colour and is sharp enough to cause serious injuries. 'Makarsankranti' or 'Uttarayan' falls on the 14th of this month.

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(Published 03 January 2010, 14:07 IST)

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