Would biodegradable manja fall within ban, asks Delhi High Court

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has granted time to the Delhi government to state if biodegradable kite flying threads having biodegradable adhesives or strengthening material fall within the scope of the ban on the sale and use of ‘Chinese Manja’ or kite flying threads made of synthetic material.

A bench headed by Justice Vibhu Bakhru, while dealing with a challenge to the ban by an entity engaged in the business of producing and selling cotton kite flying, also asked the government to state the maximum permissible tensile strength of such threads.    

The learned counsel appearing for the respondent seeks time to take instructions on whether the respondent could clarify that a biodegradable kite flying thread with biodegradable adhesives or strengthening material, would fall within the scope of the impugned notification. The respondent shall also take instructions as to the maximum permissible tensile strength.

At his request, list on 02.09.2022, said the bench also comprising Justice Amit Mahajan in its order dated August 16. The Delhi government has, by its notification dated January 10, 2017, directed that there shall be a complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply, import, and use of kite flying thread made out of nylon, plastic, or any other synthetic material including popularly known as “Chinese Manja” and any other kite-flying thread that is sharp or made sharp such as by being laced with glass, metal or any other sharp materials in Delhi.

The notification said that kite flying shall be permissible only with a cotton thread that is free from any sharp/ metallic strengthening materials. The petitioner said that it sold kite flying threads which are strengthened by natural adhesives such as rice and eggs.