Nagpur:

Adding to the number of bird injuries caused due to manja, over 15 cases cropped up on Friday in the city. Despite the state government ban on Chinese manja, citizens continued to use the deadly strings and endangering the lives of birds like last year.

Founder of Wild-CER Dr Bahar Baviskar said that their volunteers attended to around six-to-seven rescue calls of birds getting trapped in manja, mostly in areas like Pachpaoli and Central Avenue. The injured birds included pigeons and doves. Baviskar said that the numbers are expected to increase after the festival of kites. “Now, manjas will be left hanging on trees in which birds will keep getting entangled for the coming months,” he said.

Bird rescuer Pankaj Badule from Wildlife Welfare Society informed that they treated some birds including owl, Asian koel and pond heron, on Friday.

Swapnil Bodhane from People For Animals (PFA) said that a black kite and a cat also sustained injuries from manja. “Apart from birds, manja is a threat for stray animals like dogs, cats and cattle too as it is lying on streets,” he said.

In the last one month, over 70 cases of birds and animals getting entangled in nylon manja were reported in the city.