Allahabad High Court seeks UP govt’s action plan to curb Chinese manjha

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday expressed serious concern over the continued sale and use of Chinese manjha — kite strings made of nylon and coated with metal or glass particles — and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to explain the concrete steps being taken to eliminate the practice.

Hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate M.L. Yadav, a bench comprising Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla questioned the state on its strategy to prevent the manufacture, sale and use of the hazardous kite strings, which have been linked to fatal accidents and injuries.

In response, the state government informed the court that it was in the process of drafting legislation to prohibit the use of such manjha. It also said a six-member committee had already been constituted to prepare the framework for the proposed law.

Taking note of the submission, the bench directed the secretaries of the Home and Environment departments — or officers not below the rank of secretary — to appear through video conferencing at the next hearing scheduled for 13 July.

During the proceedings, counsel representing the central government told the court that nylon and lead-coated Chinese manjha had already been prohibited under orders issued by the National Green Tribunal.

The bench, however, observed that imposing a ban alone was insufficient unless accompanied by effective enforcement measures. The judges said it was the responsibility of the state authorities to ensure strict compliance with the ban and identify locations where the prohibited kite strings were being manufactured or sold.

Meanwhile, the city’s kite association moved an intervention application before the court, alleging that police and local authorities were harassing its members under the guise of taking action against Chinese manjha.

Addressing the concern, the court observed that members of the kite-flying community should also cooperate with efforts to curb the use of banned strings. It further directed the state government to ensure that innocent individuals were not subjected to unnecessary harassment during enforcement drives.

With PTI inputs