Chinese string continues to plague city residents

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 8

The number of incidents involving people getting injured everyday due to Chinese strings has prompted NGOs and members of Civil Society to strongly object to severe lapse in implementing the ban on hazardous plastic thread. Chinese string was banned in the city in 2011, but its sale and easy availability has irked the public.

A scholar and union leader Germanjit Singh Bhath sustained injuries on his hand and a deep gash wound due a loose Chinese string while travelling on the elevated road yesterday. This is not the first such reported incident as many children and adults have sustained grievous injuries due to ‘gattu’ (common name) or the Chinese string.

“Travelling on the elevated road has become dangerous due the loose Chinese dor. All this is happening due to corrupt practices and direct involvement of officials,” said KS Ankhi. A few days ago members of several NGOs had raised the issue with the administration, following which officials had raided a few shops in Cherharta to check the sale of Chinese string. A team led by SDM Paramjit Singh had also seized several Chinese string rolls.

“Most of the thread is sold illegally from the comfortable confines of traders’ homes. They get these strings from nearby towns including Batala, Beas and Gurdaspur. Why can’t officials get information and raid their homes? What is stopping them?” asked Deepak Babbar, from Mission Aghaaz while calling for harsher punishment and cancellation of licences of violators. “Shops of traders selling these death traps should be immediately sealed and their licences cancelled. The ban on Chinese string is going the same way as on plastic bags, which had zero implementation. Open flouting of law has direct implications on lives of citizens,” said Ankhi.