A dead pigeon entwined and hanging on a kite string (manja) after the Makar Sankranti festival in Hyderabad on Friday. | Photo credit: PTI
This year’s kite-flying season reached its peak during the three-day holiday period, bringing down so many bird members caught in the death grip of the “manja”. Birds as small as bee-eaters fell to the ground after being hit by the thread in flight, according to rescue teams working on mission mode all day.
Disaster response forces from the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency rescued a water duck stuck in a manja in Yapral Lake on January 15.
Volunteers from the Animal Warriors Conservation Society rescued 26 birds on Sankranti alone, five of which died and four were released on the spot. The remaining 17 were taken to shelter with injuries. Species that have fallen victim to manja include the tern, green bee-eater, black-headed ibis, shikra, peacock, black harrier and barn owl to name a few.
“Today we also rescued a peregrine falcon from Kavadiguda. She got injured on her left wing and had to be shifted to a shelter,” informed Pradeep Parakuth, founder and president of the company. Of the three green bee-eaters they rescued, one died.
During the season, the organization rescued a total of 145 birds, of which 41 have died and 104 are in the process of recovery at a dedicated sanctuary in Ameenpur. The most difficult rescue was a pigeon that got stuck on a hundred-meter mobile tower. Rescuers could not climb higher than 50 feet, so they had to rely on a reach pole from the nearest building. Birds strung from high power lines are the most difficult rescue because of the requirement to turn off the power, Parakuth says.
“Three years ago, we had to ensure the shutdown of a 133kV line that supplied three districts and deploy a boom lift vehicle costing ₹10,000 per hour to rescue a pigeon.
Soudharm Bhandari of the Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has developed a bird rescue protocol that involves burning manja using an incense stick stuck to a stick. When the bird falls, it is caught in the net and given water before it is untangled. The GHSPCA has reported the rescue of 58 birds this year, including eagles, loons, and an owl, among others.
“Chinese manja was not the culprit in all cases. Out of all the cases, 10 were caused by manja glass cotton thread while one was caused by normal cotton thread which caught the bird but did not cause injury,” Bhandari said.
Parakuth cites a particular Sky King manju with a multi-string construction (up to the highest of 12 strings), which is mostly sold from Gujarat and is sold in the Begum Bazar wholesale market, where 200-300 outlets come up during the festive season without any government control.
“It is 12 cotton strings rolled and coated with chemicals like aluminum oxide and glass powder. In our childhood we used a simple thread and stretching required skill involving a certain pull and technique. Now that is not the case,” says Parakuth.
Published – 16 Jan 2026 21:13 IST
