Mumbai police bans use & sale of ‘pucca manjha’ ahead of Makar Sankranti
Representational Image. Courtesy: EyeForIndia blog
The Mumbai police on Thursday issued a circular banning the use, sale and storage of nylon manja ahead of the upcoming ‘Makar Sankranti’ festival on January 14.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ashok Dudhe, passed the ban order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. The ban will stay in effect from January 13 to February 11.
The order cites the danger to birds and human beings as the reason for banning the pucca manjha, which is typically made out of nylon or other synthetic materials.
The order reads, “Whereas during the kite flying festival, injury is caused to the people and the birds on account of pucca thread made out of plastic or similar such synthetic material commonly known as nylon manja. These injuries many a times turn out to be fatal causing death of people and birds. It is therefore desirable to protect the people and birds from the fatal effects of the kite flying thread made out of nylon or plastic or synthetic thread,”
“These threads continue to cause problems such as blockages of sewers, drainage lines, natural water ways such as rivers, streams, adversely effects on soil and waterways and cattle population cause by cutting or falling of such threads, suffocation of cows and other animals who ingest food items along with such nylon/plastic material. The impact of such plastic materials used for making thread is many and varied.” it adds.
Those found using, selling or storing such threads will be tried under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
Animal activists, bird lovers and citizen groups have all welcomed the move.
In December, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had also imposed a temporary nationwide ban on use of nylon, Chinese and cotton manja coated with glass for similar reasons.
