New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday has put a complete ban on manjha (kite string) made of nylon or any non-biodegradable synthetic material. The ban is imposed as it is a threat to humans, birds and animals and is harmful to the environment.
A bench led by NGT chief Justice (retd) Swatanter Kumar directed all states to prohibit the “manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use” of such manjha made of nylon or any non-biodegradable synthetic material. The green panel also clarified that the ban order would apply to nylon, Chinese and cotton manjha coated with glass as it was harmful to both humans and birds, reports TOI.
“There shall be a total ban on the manjha or thread for kite-flying which is made of nylon or any other synthetic material and/or is coated with synthetic substance and is non-biodegradable,” the green bench said in its order.
The bench further said: “All chief secretaries of states and Union territories are directed to enforce the prohibition on manufacture and use of synthetic manjha/nylon thread for flying kites throughout the country.”
Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and others had filed a plea arguing that such kinds of manjha are a threat to the lives of humans, animals and even birds with a number of deaths reported each year.
“Due to ‘manjha’ being coated with glass, metals and other sharp material, these strings act as good conductors of electricity, increasing the probability of detached manjha strings stuck in power lines electrocuting kite flyers and passers-by coming into contact with these strings,” the petition submitted by Peta had said.
In the petition, Peta had added that children who were engaged in the cottage industry for its manufacturing, inhale harmful substances causing respiratory problems.