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Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan Rescues Over 1.18 Lakh Birds in a Decade

Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan campaign has successfully rescued and treated over 1.18 lakh birds injured during the Uttarayan kite-flying season in the past decade. The initiative, launched in 2017, has achieved an impressive recovery rate of over 92% for the more than 1.29 lakh birds it has provided medical treatment to. The 2026 campaign alone treated 16,380 birds across all 33 districts, with Ahmedabad reporting the highest number of cases. The operation is supported by hundreds of centres, thousands of staff and volunteers, and a dedicated 24-hour helpline.

Key Points: Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan: Over 1.18 Lakh Birds Rescued

  • 92% recovery rate for injured birds
  • 16,380 birds treated in 2026 campaign
  • Ahmedabad recorded highest cases
  • 41 different species treated
  • 450+ collection centres set up
2 min read

Over 1.18 lakh injured birds rescued in Gujarat since launch of Karuna Abhiyan

Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan has treated over 1.29 lakh injured birds since 2017, achieving a 92% recovery rate. Learn about the campaign's success.

"Consistent planning and timely medical intervention have helped ensure a high survival rate for injured birds year after year. - Arjun Modhwadia"

Gandhinagar, Feb 2

Over the last 10 years, more than 1.18 lakh birds injured largely during the Uttarayan kite-flying season have been rescued across Gujarat under the state's Karuna Abhiyan, according to official data of the Forest and Environment Department.

The campaign, launched in 2017, has provided medical treatment to over 1.29 lakh injured birds, achieving a recovery rate of more than 92 per cent.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the sustained outcomes reflected steady improvements in rescue coordination and treatment facilities. "Consistent planning and timely medical intervention have helped ensure a high survival rate for injured birds year after year," he said.

During this year's Karuna Abhiyan, conducted from January 10 to January 20, a total of 16,380 birds injured by kite strings were treated across the state. Of these, 14,690 birds survived following treatment, accounting for a recovery rate of 90 per cent.

Rescue and treatment operations were carried out across all 33 districts. Ahmedabad recorded the highest number of cases, with 7,040 birds receiving treatment, of which 6,532 were rescued. Surat followed, where 4,194 birds were saved out of 4,800 treated cases. Vadodara reported 649 rescues from 722 injured birds, while Rajkot recorded 553 birds saved out of 676 treated. In Gandhinagar, 313 birds were rescued from 329 cases.

Species-wise data showed that pigeons accounted for the largest share of injured birds at 13,636, followed by 905 black kites, 281 crows, 180 sparrow hawks, 137 black ibises, 134 owls, 121 egrets and 110 parrots.

Birds from a total of 41 different species were treated during the 2026 campaign.

State Forest and Environment Minister Pravin Mali said Karuna Abhiyan began with inter-departmental support and the involvement of voluntary organisations. "In the first year of the campaign, 6,597 out of 7,301 injured birds were treated and rescued. Since then, the scale and reach of the initiative have expanded steadily," he said.

To support Karuna Abhiyan 2026, the state set up around 450 collection centres, more than 60 control rooms and over 480 treatment centres. More than 650 veterinary doctors and approximately 8,000 staff members and volunteers were deployed.

The Forest Department operated a 24-hour helpline in 1926 and a dedicated WhatsApp number, 83200 02000. The animal ambulance service remains available throughout the year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
A 92% recovery rate is impressive! The scale of operations with 450 centres and 8000 volunteers shows serious commitment. But the real solution is to promote safer Uttarayan practices. Can we have more awareness about using safer strings (manja) so fewer birds get injured in the first place?
D
David E
As someone who has visited Ahmedabad during Uttarayan, the sight of injured birds is heartbreaking. It's encouraging to see a structured response. The 24-hour helpline and WhatsApp number are smart, modern solutions. Other countries could learn from this model for wildlife rescue.
A
Arjun K
Good work by the Forest Department. However, the numbers are still staggering - 16,380 birds injured in just 10 days this year. While rescue is noble, prevention is better than cure. The enforcement against Chinese manja and glass-coated strings needs to be much stricter.
S
Shreya B
My cousin volunteered for this in Surat! She said it was exhausting but incredibly rewarding. It's not just about pigeons; they saved kites, owls, parrots... 41 species! This shows our biodiversity is at risk during festivals. We must celebrate without causing harm to nature.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, while the campaign is excellent, the article highlights a persistent problem. From 7,301 birds in the first year to over 16,000 now – the injury rate seems to have increased. The rescue effort is scaling up, but are we failing on the prevention front? The focus should shift more towards creating a truly 'bird-safe' Uttarayan.

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