“This Sankranti let the bird fly along with kites!"
"Don’t lay death trap for fun!"
"When your kites start flying, the flying start dying!"
These are few of slogans raised against "Glass-coated Chinese manja" to create awareness among people to stop its sale.
As we all know according to NGT order there is a total ban on Nylon and synthetic thread coated with glass material which is used to fly kites. The order came after a plea was filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) — India.
Chinese dor or Nylon Manja is :
is sharp and easily cuts through wings or other body parts of birds, killing them or injuring them!
is non-biodegradable
Can adversely affect marine life
Why Chinese dor is preferred:
They are preferred because they are hard and sharp, hence can aid one in competitions
Ordinary thread cannot hold onto to heavy weighing kites as Nylon manja
Extremely cheap and more durable when compared to cotton thread.
With the onset of Sankranti we see sky filled with colourful kites, but we also see bleeding birds stuck hanging off the thread! For them it is a day of dread! We have seen instances of birds and humans receiving fatal injuries in the past due to the same!
According to recent article by #TheHindu
1) 3 yr old from Chennai died getting his neck slit by dangling Manja while he was on a motorcycle with his dad driving!
2) Earliest recorded instance of death by kite thread in oct 1975 resulting in 197 people getting arrested
3)As kite flying is competition in many states, 3 persons were killed in Gujarat and over a 100 injured in different states
According to Animal Welfare Board of India, In kite flying event at Ahmedabad, among 2,000 injured birds 500 eventually died.
Nikunj Sharma, lead, public policy of PETA India says, “The loophole here is that glass is also non-biodegradable and scientific studies suggest that it takes hundreds of years for glass to be decomposed,” Stating that as the manja industry is quite unregulated, Sharma said that the threads are often coated with not just glass but also minced metals. “They thus turn into good conductors of electricity. There have been many cases of people getting electrocuted from manja,” he added.
Anti-manja activist Arvind Kumar Raturi said that “It is a misconception that only synthetic thread is dangerous. Cotton ones coated with glass are equally sharp,”
So why not question our choice? Because even after ban there is illegal sale of manja going! As the demand so is the production!
If you see someone selling this thread you can report to police!!
Here are the helplines for REPORTING on birds trapped and/or injured by manja:
Peta India : 09820122602
Contact GHSPCA(Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal) & PFA (People for animals) on SPOTTING entangled bird at :8886743881 , 73374 50643
TRADITIONAL COTTON THREAD is best alternative you can use instead of non-biodegradable and harmful Chinese manja!
“Only plain form of cotton threads, which were traditionally used for kite-flying should be allowed. Delhi government has banned all forms of coated manja and this is a step that every state in the country should take to save lives,” said Sharma
Imagine a free flying bird or smiling kid riding motorcycle with his dad or marine animals being trapped by strings cutting through her body! Spread joy across during festivals and not sorrow!
Happy Sankranthi people!!
Here is something you can do to stop sale and use of sharp manja’s in India!! (Letter to #PrakashJavdekar) Click on link! Submit with your basic details!! https://secure.petaindia.com/page/35494/action/1?locale=en-GB
Law:
- Violation under EPA(Environmental Protection Act) 1986 : Imprisonment up to 5 years and fine up to ₹1 lakh or both
- Injuring and killing wild animals and birds u/s 51 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Imprisonment of 3 to 7 years and fine not less than ₹10,000/-
- As per GO MS no 42, issued on April 16,2015 by the Ministry of Environment, a ban has been imposed on procuring, stocking, selling and usage of glass-coated manja kills animals and birds.
Happy Sankranthi people!!
References:
- https://india.mongabay.com/2019/01/a-sky-full-of-kites-becomes-a-death-trap-for-birds/
- ://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenewsminute.com/article/hyderabad-police-seize-chinese-manja-worth-rs-10-lakh-two-held-94951%3famp
- ://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/aug/17/delhi-man-dies-after-kite-string-slits-throat-2020179.html
- ://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/he-couldn-t-even-shout-he-just-collapsed-and-died-in-his-father-s-lap/story-l59ikQAbqliSSYBSe6UVAN.html
- ://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/fly-kites-but-beware-of-the-manja-this-vishwakarma-puja/articleshow/71136723.cms
- ://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/string-of-deaths-on-perilous-use-of-manja/article29881761.ece
