New Delhi:
Mumbai Police have banned sale and production of glass-coated 'manja' for flying kites in a move that will help prevent injuries to birds and human beings because of the coarse thread.
The prohibitory order has come following an intense campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which pointed out that manja is responsible for the deaths of and injuries to countless birds every year, it also said that incidents of serious injuries to people are also quite common.
"Flying kites with manja may be entertaining for some people, but it is definitely not fun for families who lose their loved ones or for birds whose wings are cut off," PETA India activist Ashish Verma said in a statement.
He said efforts will be taken so that other cities and states also follow Mumbai's example.
"By banning the production and sale of manja, Mumbai has taken direct action to save lives," Verma said adding that the birds' wings are often severed by the thread, leading to their agonizing death.
Glass-coated manja can also be deadly to humans. In one incident in Mumbai, a stray manja nearly cut a child's throat, and a Borivali resident was hospitalised after a manja came into contact with his neck while he was riding his scooter, the activist noted.