Kite enthusiasts striving to keep the sport alive on Makar Sankranti

The recent ban on the sale of twine (manjah) has surely dampened the spirit of kite fliers of Mumbai on the eve of auspicious festival of Makar Sankranti. Kite enthusiasts are leaving no stone unturned to keep this relishing sport alive.

However, with the rise in population and migrants influx on the rise, Mumbai is facing a severe space crunch. The island city has been divided into several clusters to provide shelter and livelihood to the thousand staying in the city.

In order to accomplish these targets there was a sudden rise in the infrastructure wherein buildings were being erected in the smallest place available, which ultimately acted as a reason for space crunch. Open play grounds in Mumbai are either tagged as silent zones or else have been used as a private property, leaving kite flying enthusiasts in the lurch.

" We made arrangements for the festival well in advance by preparing kites at home using waste materials. This year we are flying kites on the terrace of the building since that is the only open space left in the city. Due to lack of open spaces we are forced to limit our enjoyment and have been provided with rules and regulations to finish playing the game as early as possible," said K. Aditya, a resident of Dombivli.

Meanwhile, people associated with several eco- friendly NGO's and animal welfare centres have welcomed the decision of ban on the use of twine ( manjah).

NGO's in the city namely Plant and Animals Welfare Society ( PAWS) and Sparrow Shelter Foundation are propagating their campaign vigourously through various mediums like print and electronic media.

" Pigeons, crows, sparrows are the major targets during this festival. Since these birds fly at low heights, their wings get entangled in the manjah tied to the kite straying in the skyline, thereby fatally injuring them. This year we have distributed pamphlets and have even posted placards around the city appealing to people to restrain from using manjah to fly kites. With birds getting killed at a mass rate due to several reasons it is important to maintain an ecological balance by preserving the natural beauty," said Pramod Mane, whose association Sparrow Shelter Foundation has been working over this issue for the past five years.

Nilesh Bhanage, a member of Plant and Animals Welfare Society ( PAWS) have conceptualized a novel campaign named " Kite Flying Campaign" where in volunteers are generating awareness about saving animals. " A lot of birds are found hanging upside down from trees a couple of days after the festival, displaying how these injuries lead to a painful death. A lot of migratory birds, who have flown from far off places, also loose their lives," said Bhanage.

The " twine" that is used for kite flying, is tempered with powdered glass mixed with other chemicals. The fine threads are deadly sharp and can cut through hands, often severely injuring the handlers. They are the biggest threat to birds who stray too near a kite that is in the air.