Goa Bans Deadly Kite Strings Following PETA India’s Appeal
Following an appeal from PETA India to address bird and human deaths caused by manja, the Goa Department of Environment and Climate Change has issued a notification under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986, in the Official Gazette – Government of Goa prohibiting the sale, production, storage, supply, import, and use of all kite strings coated with glass or other harmful substances in addition to confirming the prohibition of the notorious nylon “Chinese” manja. The prohibition has been issued in order to prevent harm to humans, birds, other animals, and the environment. Per the notification, kites may be flown only with cotton thread free of any materials designed to increase its sharpness or strength. Further, the notification states that use of artificially strengthened thread also amounts to offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023), The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The notification underlines the polluting nature of manja and the harm to human and animal life caused by its use in all forms, including cotton threads coated with strengthening or abrasive materials such as glass and metal alloys. It cites the power failures that manja can cause – just one power line disruption can affect up to 10,000 people. Notifications with similar directions have previously been issued by the governments of Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Telangana, and Tripura.
Manja, in all its forms, puts humans, birds, other animals, and the environment at risk. Razor-sharp strings made of nylon or cotton threads, often reinforced with glass powder and metal, routinely injure and kill humans and birds. This year, numerous fatalities have been recorded across the country, including a 21-year-old man in Maharashtra, four people (including a 4-year-old child) in Gujarat, a man in Madhya Pradesh, and a 12-year-old boy in Rajasthan, whose neck was slit open.
The harmful thread also has a disastrous impact on bird populations. 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 to death.
Earlier this year, following an appeal from PETA India, the central government statutory body the Animal Welfare Board of India advised all states and union territories to amend their respective notifications under the EPA, 1986, to prohibit all manja and to permit the use of only plain cotton string for kite-flying.
