For flying kites, making use of nylon manjas, glass-coated manjas, or Chinese manjas has proven to be very dangerous; hence, the government has banned them. Despite the ban across Maharashtra, it is easily available at the markets around Mumbai.
This year, to celebrate Makar Sankranti, many used these nylon or glass-coated manjas to fly kites, which led to the deaths of 1000 birds and left 800 injured.
Several charities in the city set up around 25 free-bird medical clinics during the two-day celebration. Reportedly, Dahisar, Borivali, Kandivali, and Malad had the highest number of rescued birds, hovering around 500, according to the animal enthusiasts working at the medical camps.
The suffering of birds isn't confined to the festival, claims Mitesh Jain, Honorary Animal Welfare Representative, Animal Welfare Board of India. Throughout the year, the fire department and NGOs seek assistance for birds they find in a vulnerable condition. These birds, at times, lose their ability to fly. As a result, the majority of survivors have to spend their entire lives in shelters.
Drawing attention to the indiscriminate sale of illegal Chinese manja, Jain claimed that this kind of string is sharper than other types and increases the risk of bird death and injury to people. But he thought that this year there were fewer kite flyers because of a persistent social media effort. They understand that punishing birds for their own enjoyment is wrong. Festivals should bring joy to people, not cause them any harm, he said.
The state government has outlawed the sale and consumption of these manjas under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act of 1986. Yet, its sale and use are still notwithstanding the ban, and it is easily available in many kite-selling markets.
In other tragic incidents being reported this year, on January 14, while riding a bike in Borivali, a nylon manja twisted around the neck of the student, Mohammed Saif Farooqui, 21, killed him. A police complaint was filed in Borivali against an unidentified kite user. The same day, a manja that went flying at Vile Parle seriously injured the throat of another rider, Jalinder Nemane.
The city police stated on January 14 that they had recorded fifty-nine crimes related to the sale and use of forbidden manja, or kite string. Under the Maharashtra Police Act, 51 individuals were booked by the police or served with notices under the Code of Criminal Procedure. Manja valued at INR 1.5 lakh has been seized by police from them.
Mumbai Police on January 12 issued a preventive order banning nylon manjas. The order stated that the use of banned manjas would be a punishable offence.
In its order, Mumbai Police also said that every year they observe that during the kite flying festival or around Makar Sankranti, injuries are caused to people and birds on account of pucca thread. This thread is made out of plastic or a similar synthetic material commonly known as nylon manja. These injuries, at times, turn out to be fatal, leading to the deaths of people and birds. Therefore, it is necessary to protect people and birds from the fatal effects of the kite flying thread made out of nylon, plastic, or synthetic thread.
The order further added that extensive use of such synthetic thread, which is non-biodegradable, often results in flash-overs on the power lines and substations, which may cause power interruptions to consumers. It then causes strain and damage to electrical assets, causes accidents and injuries to humans and animals, and leads to loss of life, and damage to the environment; therefore it is necessary to prevent use of such nylon manja for kite flying.
The police's directive stated it is desirable to protect birds, which are classified as rare and endangered species and are becoming extinct. The following order was issued since kite flying is a major event in Mumbai during Makar Sankranti.
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