Gujarat CM visits Vastrapur Vann Chetna Kendra facility for injured birds | Karuna Abhiyan 2023

Vastrapur: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel today visited Ahmedabad's Vastrapur-based facility of the Forest department and formally launched Statewide Karuna Abhiyan under which the injured birds before, during, and after the Kite flying festival get medical treatment. The Statewide Karuna Abhiyan is being marked from the 10th to the 20th of January by the State government.

The departments of Forest and Animal Husbandry actively participate in this Abhiyan. The forest department has arranged an ICU, ambulance, and '1962' telephone helpline for the treatment of injured birds. So far 70,000 birds are treated as part of Karuna Abhiyan ever since its launch several years ago.

As many as 700 + doctors and 8,000 + volunteers in addition to 700 voluntary organizations are offering their services during Karuna Abhiyan this year. A service of Karuna Animal Ambulance has also been launched. As part of this Abhiyan, the government has declared a 1962 phone helpline and 8320002000 Whatsapp number. The forest department of Ahmedabad has also declared a 24-hour helpline number 7600009845/46. The Chief Minister today visited the OPD, operation theater, X-ray room, implant room, and exclusive water-birds facility at Vastrapur-based Vann Chetna Kendra. He witnessed the live operation of a migrated Siberian bird injured due to a lethal kite string. He also witnessed the medical treatment of painted stork and kite birds.

The Chief Minister was informed that as many as 1500 birds arrive at this treatment facility in 7-8 days of the Kite flying festival. Kites, parrots, nightingales, and pigeons are common kinds of birds that are brought here. The CM was informed that on Uttarayan evening as many as 30 doctors are to be deployed at this center due to the extra load of injured birds. The CM was informed that in the last two days, as many as 400 injured birds had arrived here.

Gujarat celebrates the Kite Flying Festival every year on the 14th and 15th of January. A lot of people fly kites even before these dates. Due to lethal Manja (kite string or kite thread), thousands of birds every year either die or suffer temporary/lifelong injuries. Even after the two-day-long festival, the injured birds continue to arrive at the treatment facilities for a week or so, as they suffer injuries due to left-over threads lying on trees and other locations. DeshGujarat