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This is an archive article published on April 30, 2024
Animal Welfare Board of India suggests complete ban of hazardous manjha used for kite flying
This comes following urgent appeals from PETA India which raised concerns over the grave risks posed by sharp kite strings.
As per the letter, the AWBI has requested to make necessary amendments in the notification issued under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, for the prohibition of manjha used for kite-flying activities. (File Photo)
In a decisive move aimed at safeguarding both animal and human life, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) on Monday urged all states and union territories to outlaw hazardous manja – harmful sharp threads such as nylon or cotton string coated with glass and to permit the use of only plain cotton string for kite-flying.
As per the letter, the AWBI has requested to make necessary amendments in the notification issued under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, for the prohibition of manjha used for kite-flying activities.
This comes following urgent appeals from PETA India which raised concerns over the grave risks posed by sharp kite strings.
“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. Birds and other animals, including humans, stand no chance against such deadly weapons,” says PETA India Senior Advocacy Officer Farhat Ul Ain.
“Most people would choose to use only plain cotton kite string if they knew that doing so would spare humans and other animals serious injury and death,” he said.
“Birds’ wings and feet are often slashed or even cut off by manja, and because they frequently manage to escape despite their severe wounds, rescuers can’t help them, and many of them bleed slowly and painfully to death,” PETA said in its statement.
Following appeals from PETA India, the governments of Chandigarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab issued notifications prohibiting the notorious nylon “Chinese” manja as well as glass- and metal-coated “desi” kite string, joining other states and union territories like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura, which have similar directives in place.
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