Despite complete ban imposed by National Green Tribunal on the use of 'Chinese' kite strings made of nylon or any synthetic material which is non-biodegradable, it is being openly sold in the markets of the city. Notably, a city resident from Padartha had his neck cut on Tuesday while he was riding motorbike. He got entangled with the kite string hanging loose from the electricity wire.
Bleeding profusely, Momin, 22, was rushed to a private hospital in Dhanpura by some traders where twenty stitches were fixed on the neck.
Notably last year, NGT had imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing, sale, production, supply and use of kite string made of nylon, plastic or any other synthetic material on the ground that it posed threat to life and environment. Taking cognizance of the rising complaints of the incidents of kite string injuries, the tribunal had banned the use of plastic ‘manjha’.
Speaking to The Pioneer, SSP Janmejay Khanduri said, “A drive would be carried out to check the sale of Chinese manjha. Over the past few days, action has been taken at many places. From now onwards, stricter action would be taken against those found selling such ‘manjha’.”
With the kite flying season peaking on Basant Panchmi day which is round the corner, it is expected that incidents of bird injuries would multiply. Not just the birds are injured but it inflicts injuries on humans also, resulting in throat and limb cuts. But they have not stopped people from using such ‘manjha’ coated with crushed glass or plastic material which gives them an edge over other ‘manjhas’ using cotton thread strings which break easily.
The ‘manjha’ hanging from the tree branches and electricity poles often poses threat to the commuters who fail to see the thin thread and get cut. The claws of the birds are entangled to the kite string and most of the times, their wings are cut by the kites flying on such ‘manjha’.
It is the lower price of the plastic ‘manjha’ which attracts the buyers and they hardly care how dangerous it can prove to others. Speaking to The Pioneer, a shopkeeper from Ranipur Mode Rakesh Sharma said, “The plastic kite string is stronger and cheaper than other strings used for kite flying. We get plastic manjha rolls from Saharanpur. Its demand is great and we provide it to the customer who come here to buy it. We do not know about the ban. Nobody has told us so”
In the past, many incidents have been reported from Jwalapur, Kankhal and Lodha Mandi where people live in narrow lanes and kite flying competitions are held from the roof tops.