Despite ban, sale of Chinese string continues

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 26

Even as the district administration has banned the sale and use of synthetic thread for kite flying, popularly known as the Chinese 'dor', people, animals and birds continue to be injured by its use.

Apparently clandestine sale of the prohibited thread is continuing. Influential people with political links are said to be behind its sale.

Dubbed as the 'killer dor’, the string is causing grievous injuries to humans and birds besides injuring fingers of people who enjoy flying kites. Its non-dissolvable and non-breakable characteristics make it a lethal object that causes injuries while being used for flying kites.

It causes injuries to unsuspecting people and even birds, who sometime perish and their carcasses dangle over branches of trees, said Ashok Joshi of the SPCA.

He said they received a lot of calls for rescuing birds dangling from trees and wires, enmeshed in the synthetic thread.

The use of the thread, a plastic kind of material, injures speechless birds apart from human beings. Many birds have perished while some have lost their limbs.

On the directions of the Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat, the District Education Office held a series of rallies from various schools of the city. A majority of these rallies focused on schools situated within and around the walled city.

One of these schools was PBN Senior Secondary School. The Principal of the school, Rajiv Kumaria, said, keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, a seminar was also organised on the school campus. He said emphasis was laid on making the parents of the students vigilant against the use of the string. He urged people to create awareness among the public and urge them, especially youngsters, to revert to traditional and indigenously prepared 'manjha dor' for flying kites.

Buying, selling and storage of synthetic/plastic string, popularly known as China-made or dragon string, is prohibited in the city.