Bengaluru sees a rise in bird injuries and death caused by glass powder-laced threads.
The number of birds entangled in glass-coated kite strings, popularly known as manja, has gone up in the past two years. According to a report (Link) by Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Center (ARRC), In Bengaluru, a total of 10,226 birds were rescued from being entangled in manja strings from 2018 to 2023.
Subiksha Venkatesh, Rescue Manager at ARRC, said that over the past two years, ARRC had rescued 5,026 birds affected by manja, with 2,480 cases in 2022 and 2,546 cases in 2023.
“In 2024 so far, ARRC has already rescued 180 birds entangled in deadly manja between Jan. 1 and Jan. 17, averaging ten rescues per day,” he said.
A rescuer from People for Animals (PFA), Bengaluru, said, “Recently a black kite fell victim to hanging manja a day after Sankranthi, which caused a tear in the wings.”
He also said that most rescued birds are black kites as they dive for prey at high speeds, failing to notice the hanging manja from broken kites. Apart from black kites, crows, barn owls, flying foxes and parakeets are affected by manja, added Subiksha.
Krishna M B, Ornithologist, raised his concern over the manja and its impact on birds and fishes. He said that “Most of the fishing nets are made up of nylon manja and some end up in lakes through broken kites. The microfibers and toxic chemicals in manja are ingested by fishes causing digestive problems and death.”
Further he added that in the 2015 entanglement reports, over last two decades, number of affected seabirds from manja increased from 16 percent to 25 percent. He said, “In Bengaluru bird numbers are down by 80 to 90 percent and manja cases just add to it. Unless rescued, it is likely that almost all manja trapped birds would bleed to death as the manja cuts deep into the skin.”
Under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the National Green Tribunal has already imposed a ban on Chinese manja and glass-coated thread. It includes severe penalties for violators, including imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to Rs one lakh, or both.
