Animal rights group seeks curbs on kite-flying
By IANSThursday, December 24, 2009
NEW DELHI - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Thursday urged the Delhi Police Commissioner to emulate his Mumbai counterpart and prohibit the production and sale of glass-coated ‘manja’ (a thread used in flying kites) as it harms birds.
“Flying kites with manja is definitely no fun for families who lose their loved ones or for birds who become entangled and fatally injured in the deadly glass-coated string,” said Ashish Verma of PETA India, in a statement.
Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Sivanandan recently issued an order prohibiting the production and sale of manja.
The animal rights organisation has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal requesting him to do the same.
“By banning the production and sale of manja, Mumbai has taken commendable action to save lives,” added Verma.
“Manja is deadly to thousands of pigeons, crows, owls and other birds who get entangled in it. The birds’ wings are often severed, dooming the animals to an agonising death,” the statement said.
