Gujarat: 40% drop in bird injuries this Uttarayan, 91% saved

A vet in Ahmedabad reports a 40% drop in bird injuries during the Uttarayan festival, with awareness cited as a key reason. Statewide, the Karuna Abhiyan rescued 5,439 birds, successfully saving 91% of them at specialised centres.

40% Decline in Bird Injuries During Uttarayan

Bharat Bimani, a veterinary doctor at the Wildlife Care Centre in Bodakdev of Ahmedabad, who is involved in the treatment of injured birds after the Uttrayan festival in the state, said that there has been a decline of 40 per cent in the number of birds that were brought for treatment.

The rescue and treatment of thousands of injured birds during Uttarayan was carried out by Karuna Abhiyan. At the Wildlife Care Centre in Bodakdev alone, 227 birds were treated, while 91 per cent of the 5,439 birds rescued statewide were saved.

Advanced Treatment and Rescue Facilities

Bimani said that the injured birds are treated at the centre, which offers top facilities, after careful observation. "There has been a significant decline in the number of injured birds as compared to the previous year. Awareness could be the reason for this. There are 96 collection centres and 23 first-aid centres in the hospitals in Ahmedabad. When the injured birds are brought to the hospital, we first tag them for identification and later treat them based on observation. We have the facility to treat fractures in birds. There is only one centre in Gujarat with such state-of-the-art facilities, the Wildlife Care Centre, Forest Department, Government of Gujarat," Bimani told ANI.

A total of 527 injured birds from various species came for treatment. There has been a 40 per cent decline in the injured birds this year, he said.

CM Bhupendra Patel Inaugurates Kite Festival

Earlier, on the joyous and festive occasion of Uttarayan, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Kite Festival 2026, organised by the Sahay Foundation at Central Vista in Gandhinagar.

According to the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO), CM Patel joined the citizens in kite flying and extended his greetings on the occasion of the Uttarayan festival.

CM flew kites and distributed laddoos and chikki to the citizens.

While extending his Uttarayan greetings to all the citizens of the state, Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel stated that just as people fly their kites high in the sky during the festival, Uttarayan should also become a festival of enthusiasm that helps all citizens reach new heights of happiness, peace, prosperity, and progress in their lives.

The Chief Minister formally inaugurated the 2026 Kite Festival celebrations by releasing balloons into the sky. (ANI)

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