Delhi govt issues draft notification banning Chinese manja

The Delhi government today issued a draft notification banning sale, production and storage of metal-coated kite thread or Chinese manja in the capital, a day after two children and a youth were killed and a sub- inspector was injured in incidents of stray kite strings grazing their necks.
According to the notification, kite flying will be permissible only with a cotton thread and natural fibre free from any metallic and glass components.
The violation of directions will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to five years or fine which may be extended to Rs 1 lakh or with both.

However, sources in the LG office said the Lt Governor had approved the draft notification on August 8 and sent it back to the government the next day.
The AAP government has delayed in issuing the draft notification, they said.
The AAP government has refuted the charge and said Environment Minister Imran Hussain had signed the file pertaining to the ban on manja on August 5 and sent it to the LG office the same day when he was admitted in a hospital owing to the notification's importance.

"Whatever he (LG) has to seek, he should seek from the officer concerned since he is in-charge of the Services," a senior government official said.

The Environment Department of Delhi government has sought public suggestions and objections on its draft notification asking them to file the same within 60 days and thereafter, a final notification will be issued.
"There shall be complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply and use of nylon, plastic and Chinese manja and any other kite-flying thread that is sharp or made sharp such as by being laced with glass, metal or other sharp objects in National Capital Territory of Delhi," the notification stated.
Yesterday, three-year-old Saanchi Goyal, who was returning with parents after watching a movie, was killed after a stray kite string slashed her neck in Rani Bagh area when she was looking out of open sunroof in their car.

A four-and-a-half-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man also died after their necks got slit while a Delhi Police sub- inspector was injured in such incidents.
"During the kite flying, a lot of injury is caused to the people and birds on account of pucca thread made out of plastic or similar such synthetic material commonly known as Chinese thread. 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 thread made out of plastic or synthetic thread as Chinese thread," notification also said.

On August 11, the Delhi High Court had asked the AAP government and the civic bodies to issue advisory ahead of Independence Day making the public aware of fatal effect of the use of razor sharp kite-flying threads.