A day after a 13-year-old boy Gulshan died due to a Chinese string in Ropar after receiving a cut while riding a bicycle, Punjab Government on Tuesday issued strict directions to all the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to take exemplary action against those selling Chinese kite flying string, commonly known as China Dor, and using it across the State.
The state’s Science Technology and Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, taking serious notice of the unfortunate incident, strongly reprimanded the sellers of these strings while asking them to either stop selling them immediately or be ready to face the consequences.
“Last day, a 13-year-old boy Gulshan died due to a Chinese string in Ropar when he was riding a bicycle. In the past too, our children, elderly and other animals suffered from Chinese string…The Chief Minister has taken serious notice of this extremely unfortunate incident and has ordered strict action against such people who put human lives at risk,” said Hayer, in a video message.
Hayer categorically said that such people will face the music for violating government orders and strict action will be taken against them.
Describing Chinese string sellers as “enemies of humanity”, the Minister appealed to the people to inform the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district or the local government office so that immediate action can be taken against the violators.
The banned Chinese kite flying strings are made of nylon or synthetic thread treated with glass and metal to make them sharper. It is coated with tiny pieces of glass that often cause fatal cuts. Unlike cotton thread, it does not break on impact but cuts through the skin.
These cords are not only dangerous for humans but also for birds. In the past, there are many instances where birds got tangled in these Chinese cords. The Chinese strings are also heavy conductors of electricity, and in some places, electricity suppliers have experienced outages due to this hazardous kite thread.