Mumbai, Jan 13 (PTI) In light of the Makar Sankranti festival, a three-day camp began on Saturday in Mumbai to treat birds and other wildlife injured due to discarded kite strings, a forest official said.
The camp is being held by the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) in collaboration with RiWild Sanctuary and the forest department, the official said.
Several birds, animals and reptiles are injured after getting entangled in discarded kite strings during Makar Sankranti every year, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of RAWW and the honorary wildlife warden of the forest department.
The glass-coating on kite strings proves fatal for birds and animals, and many of them lose wings and limbs, said Dr Rina Dev, president of the RiWild Sanctuary.
"We are trying to spread awareness among people about celebrating the festival responsibly and ensuring that they don't use glass-coated strings to fly kites. We appeal to citizens to fly kites in open spaces and not discard strings everywhere," Sharma said.
The three-day treatment camp is being held in the western suburb of Khar and will continue till Monday, it was stated.