NEW DELHI: Amid reports of fatalities and serious injuries from across the country, the
Animal Welfare Board
of India (
AWBI
) – statutory body of central government – has advised all states and UTs to amend their respective notifications to put “complete prohibition” of all harmful sharp threads or ‘manjha’ made up of nylon and other threads gummed or coated with powder glass or metal coated cotton thread used for
kite flying
and permit “only plain cotton” thread for kite flying.
Though some states/UTs including Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Tripura and Chandigarh have prohibited the notorious ‘Chinese’
manja
as well as glass- and metal-coated ‘desi’ kite string and mandated only plain cotton string be used for kite-flying, the absence of clarity on ‘manja’ in their respective notifications over threads prompted AWBI to urge them and remaining states/UTs last week to strictly follow directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Tribunal had in July, 2017 directed all states/UTs to enforce a “total ban” on ‘manjha’ threads made up of nylon or any synthetic material, coated with synthetic substances, and non-biodegradable. Amendment to states/UTs’ notification will bring clarity so that manja in all its forms can be banned and relevant orders can be enforced strictly.
“The AWBI’s advisory will hopefully sensitise states/UTs towards amending their respective notifications under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to completely prohibit all manja and permit the use of only plain cotton string for kite-flying,” PETA India senior advocacy officer, Farhat Ul Ain, told TOI.
Besides humans, manja, in all its forms, also puts birds, other animals, and the environment at risk. According to PETA India, numerous fatalities were recorded this year across the country, including a 21-year-old man in Maharashtra and four people (including a 4-year-old child) in Gujarat.
“Manja also causes environmental degradation, traffic accidents, and power failures… Stray manja, whether synthetic or cotton thread coated with harmful substances such as glass, metal, or other materials, is not biodegradable and is frequently ingested by cows, bulls, and other animals, leading to painful, life-threatening complications,” said a statement from PETA India that followed up the matter with the AWBI.
