Prohibit use of harmful kite strings: Animal welfare board

Tribune News Service

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, April 30

To safeguard animal welfare and public safety, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has issued a nationwide advisory urging all states and Union Territories to amend their notifications under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA)-1986, to prohibit the use of harmful kite strings, commonly known as manja.

The AWBI’s move comes in response to an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, highlighting the urgent need to address the risks posed by these hazardous materials.

“In this regard, it is submitted that the AWBI through its letters dated May 14, 2013, addressed to all the PS to Honourable Ministers of Forest of all states/Union Territories, and letter dated January 13, 2016 addressed to the Chief Secretary of all states/UTs, has emphasised the necessity of banning glass-coated metal, plastic, or other sharp manja threads,” the AWBI stated in their notification.

The AWBI’s advisory underscores the grave dangers posed by manja, particularly those reinforced with glass or metal, which has been linked to numerous injuries and fatalities among birds, animals, and humans alike.

“We are grateful to the Animal Welfare Board of India for recognising the dangers posed by cotton kite string reinforced with glass powder or metal and other forms of manja,” expressed Farhat Ul Ain, Senior Advocacy Officer at PETA India.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Ain added, “Most people would choose to use only plain cotton kite string if they knew that doing so will prevent serious injuries and deaths among humans and animals.”

Manja’s impact extends beyond its direct harm to wildlife and humans, contributing to environmental degradation, traffic accidents and power failures. The indiscriminate use of synthetic or cotton strings coated with harmful substances poses a significant threat to public safety and ecosystem health.

This year, several deaths occurred nationwide, including a 21-year-old man in Maharashtra, a four-year-old child among four in Gujarat, one man in Madhya Pradesh, and a 12-year-old boy in Rajasthan whose throat was slit open.

Following AWBI’s advisory, several states, including Chandigarh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab, have taken decisive action by issuing notifications prohibiting the use of notorious nylon “Chinese” manja and glass and metal-coated “desi” kite strings. These states join others like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura in implementing similar directives aimed at promoting responsible kite-flying practices and protecting lives, wildlife and the environment.

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