New Delhi: Ahead of the festival of Makar Sakranti in January, India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an interim nationwide ban on use of manja (glass-coated kite string).
A panel headed by NGT chairperson Swatantra Kumar passed the order saying, “The ban would apply to nylon, Chinese and cotton threads coated with glass and metal powder, as it poses a threat to the environment.”
Kite flying is popular among Indians during the festival months of January and August. To increase the chances of being able to cut as many rival kites to win competitions, manjas are deliberately made sharp by crushing glass or metal into powder, and sticking it to the thread to increase its strength.
As a result, it not only becomes strong, but is also a good conductor of electricity, posing grave danger to humans, animals and birds and every year a number of deaths are caused by it.
Incidentally, the so-called Chinese manja is neither manufactured nor imported from the country.
With the problem getting out of hand, the Indian chapter of global NGO People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) sought a nationwide ban on manja.
The animal rights organisation had filed a petition with NGT, arguing the material posed a lethal threat to humans and animals alike and thousands of birds including pigeons and endangered species such as vultures were injured every year. It said many animals died due to injuries.
Ingested by cows and other animals, manja also leads to severe health issues.
Peta said millions of children are engaged by cottage industries for its manufacture, which causes respiratory problems for them, as it contains harmful substances.
Moreover, manja waste, comprising non-biodegradable material, blocks sewage lines, drains, natural waterways and streams, the organisation said.
Though, as is the case with most issues in the country, despite stringent laws, lack of implementation means people selling or using manja rarely face legal action.
However, Peta spokesperson Nikunj Sharma sees hope.
“Implementation had been a problem till now, because the governments had banned only one form of manja, the Chinese/nylon thread, under the wrong impression that cotton thread coated with glass was not as dangerous. But in Peta’s petition, we clearly asked for a ban all forms of manja, as any thread coated with glass is dangerous,” he said.
Two people died in manja-related incidents on August 15, India’s Independence Day.
In one case, 3-year-old Sanchi Goyal was standing in her mother’s lap, with her head sticking out of the sunroof of their vehicle, when a long strand of manja hanging from an overhead wire got entangled around her neck.
The child fell, bled profusely, and died before reaching the hospital.
In the other tragedy, Harry, 4, died in similar circumstances. The child was peeping out from the sunroof of a car, after returning from shopping with his family, when a kite string cut his vocal chords and windpipe, causing instant death.
In yet another incident, an eight-year-old boy, Aryan, was hurt and rushed to a nearby hospital. The boy’s father Raja Kumar, recalled, “My son was sitting on the bike. Suddenly, he started shouting for help and I noticed a lot of blood on the petrol tank of the bike. I immediately took him to a hospital, where he received over 20 stitches on his throat.”
After the incidents, the Delhi government had issued an official notification, banning sale, production and storage of manja and warning violators would face a jail term up to five years and Rs100,000 (Dh5,392) fine.
But, Inspector Surendra Sharma said, “On the ground things are very different. It’s time the authorities declare it a non-bailable offence. We are keeping a strict vigil so that traders do not store or sell glass-coated manja and at the same time also sensitising people and creating awareness among them of its ill-effects.”
Peta is also working with state governments apprising them of the NGT orders.
“We are telling them to confiscate all forms of glass-coated manja and allow kite-flying only with a plain cotton thread. The governments now should not be confused as to which manja to confiscate. We have come to know that the government in Telangana state has already begun raiding shops selling manja, as many people are either oblivious of its dangers or simply ignore them.”
Who makes the dangerous string?
From Surat to Secunderabad, the manufacturers of kite strings are spread all over India. States including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, and Maharashtra had earlier banned certain types of manja. However, the Delhi High Court had in its judgement few months ago, mentioned 15 separate cases of deaths due to injuries by manja in the last two years.
