Ever wondered why there should be a correlation between flying kites and death of birds?  Well, kite flying is both fun and ceremonial in some rural parts of India.  Nevertheless, these rural areas are a safe heaven for birds including some rare species such as Austen's Brown Hornbill or Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis.  Many bird species that were once a common occurrence in cities have migrated to rural parts of India for safer living and in search for tolerable living conditions. 

Finally, when they arrived there they are encountered with a problem that is rather uncommon in other parts of the world.  Kite festivals in India, perhaps a late addition to the diverse culture, have been celebrated yearly as a part of regional new year celebrations.  Traditionally kites are made of paper material (recycled generally), glue and thin carved bamboo sticks.   The variants of these use non-recyclable materials such as polypropylene or nylon blends and the paper is replaced by very thin plastic sheets which give the kites all the necessary aerodynamic properties to fly. 

A string which is a part of larger reel is tied to the kite frame and the other end is held firmly by the person flying the kite.   The string is made of cotton or nylon.  However, in recent times to make this event more attractive among young children, vendors coat these string with powdered glass which in local language referred to as ?manja?.  As kite competition gets intense, there is less control on the larger part of the string which is in the air and this moves rapidly according to the direction of wind or when pulled by people.  The result is extremely dangerous as the string slices through the objects in rapid speed and in the past there were a few human deaths with cuts on the neck. 

Every year at the end of the kite festival, newspapers report several instances of bird deaths or bird injuries.  For example, in the Indian state of Gujarat, in the month of Jan, it is reported that 16 birds died due to string cuts and a number exceeding 4000 cases of bird injuries which could mean broken or severed legs or wings.  Apart from the news channels, there is not much action taken to control the sale of ?manja? kites as their business continues to thrive every year and the number of accidents only increase year over year. 

The impacts these festivals or ceremonies have on environment should be understood carefully.  Festivals are important and must be celebrated with full honor.  However, in this case there are no guidelines on the use of appropriate materials for making kites.  In addition, the use of ?manja? (glass coated) strings cause bird deaths and cause injuries to all living beings.  There are so many instances of bird deaths reported from all parts of India.  At the end as these festivals, the kites are abandoned and they land in some other city or adjacent lakes or ponds adding to improper waste disposal and pollution. 

So who is to be blamed?  Shall we blame the festivals, people, government, vendors or birds?  The list is endless but the issues remain.  They remain to see an action that would perhaps end the such bad practices which harm our environment.  Kite flying is just an example that offers lessons on environment, pollution and waste management.  We as youths should understand these issues and educate our fellow citizens on aspects that harm our environment and make the world a better place to live for all species. 

Image credit 1 :  https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/makar-sankranti-80-people-1100-birds-injured-in-kite-flying-related-accidents-in/306897

Image credit 2:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/saumil/4290230990