PIL Filed Before Delhi High Court Seeking To Impose a Complete Ban on Kite Flying Activities, Chinese Manjha
(Judicial Quest News Network)
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking a “Complete Ban”on kite flying and related activities, especially the alleged use of “Chinese Manjha” (Kite String), citing safety concerns.
A young lawyer from Delhi Sanser Pal Singh filed the PIL, expressed his concerns and said that the precious lives and safety of human beings and birds are endangered due to kite flying in the national Capital.
The Plea sought a blanket ban on kite making storage and its transportation along with all other materials that are used in flying kites.
The plea also contended that during the kite flying activity, competitors willengage in cutting each other’s kite string in order to make string tougher to break, they need a strong, popularly known as Chinese Manjha , in which manufacturers put a powder of glass which at times, causes injury to humans and birds.
The also highlights that kite flying activity is already prohibited as per section 94 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978 where it is provided that, “prohibition against flying kites ,etc.-No person shall fly a kite or any other thing so as to cause danger, injury or alarm to persons, animals or property.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra and Justice Subramonium Prasad heared the matter on Thursday and asked the counsel appearing for Delhi police to obtain instructions on the petition particularly on the issue of Chinese Mankha.
The matter will be taken up on August, 5.
Advocate Sanaser Pal Singh said that he himself met with an incident in 2006 when a kite string got entangled around his body and in the attempt to stop it from reaching his throat, he cut his finger half.
He further argued that Delhi Police had filed 10 FIRs in the recent years on the incidents of kite strings hurting human being but the numbers could be much higher and that a complete ban on kite flying is the only solution to the problem because it is extremely difficult to nab the culprit or fix responsibility once the accident has already occurred.
The petitioner further submitted that other in the recent past Rajasthan and Gujarat High Courts have passed the orders in similar pleas and instructed the authorities to ensure that plastic or nylon or any other toxic matter like glass powder is not used in the Manjha manufacturing and kite flying
