PIL seeks ban on kite flying, related activities in Delhi HC

New Delhi, Aug 3: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has filed in the Delhi High Court seeking an order to ban on flying, making, sale-purchase, storage and transportation of kites.

According to the plea, many persons and birds were killed and injured due to accidents caused by kite strings and such mishaps occur frequently. The life and safety of human beings and birds of Delhi are endangered due to kite flying.

Hence, the PIL sought a direction to the Centre and Delhi government to impose a complete ban on flying and related-activities.

As per the petitioner Sanser Pal Singh, a practising advocate, each and every time, a competition takes place between kite flyers, it is never-ending, wherein on every occasion each kite flier tries to take down the other kite-flyers' by trying to take him out of the competition by cutting the competitor's kite string. In pursuance thereof, each kite flier tries to use an improved and more potent thread than the rival, ANI reported.

For this, every kite-flyer tries to source and use string that is glass coated or metallic, which are popularly known as 'Chinese manjha' which are more dangerous and due to this kite manjha, the life and safety of the human beings besides birds are endangered. The petitioner further stated that the recent accident was caused by a kite string, where a 30-year-old person lost his life on July 25 on the Haiderpur Flyover in Delhi.

Delhi Police had also issued an advisory on 13 August 2021 and published it in the newspaper for avoiding the use of metallic powder-coated thread. Delhi citizens have witnessed several accidents caused by kite strings, where many people either got injured or lost their lives. The petitioner himself met with an accident in 2006 when a kite string entangled around his body and in the attempt of stopping it from reaching to the throat, the petitioner took it on his finger as a result of which he got his finger half cut, the petition stated.