The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday imposed an interim nationwide ban on the use of glass-coated 'manja' for flying kites, as the sharp string poses a danger to humans, animals and birds.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar, passed the order after noting that manja – the string coated with glass and metal powder used for flying kites – poses a threat to the environment.
The green panel said that the ban order would apply to nylon, Chinese, and cotton manja coated with glass and directed the Manja Association of India to submit a report to the Central Pollution Control Board on the harmful effects of these kite strings.
The direction came after senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for animal rights body People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sought the ban, saying that the Makar Sankranti festival was approaching and that manja would be used for flying kites.
They also referred to various orders, including the November 2015 order of the Allahabad High Court, which banned the use of Chinese manja in Uttar Pradesh and sought a ban on the "manufacture, import, sale and use" of these strings.
In its petition, PETA contended that manja poses a grave threat to humans and animals as it causes a number of deaths every year.
PETA also averred that minor children were engaged by the cottage industry to manufacture these manjas. PETA said that these children were often vulnerable to respiratory problems, which were caused by inhaling harmful substances during the manufacturing process.
(With inputs from PTI)
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