DELHI: Delhi's environment minister Imran Hussain was awarded by PETA for his role in banning all forms of manja in the national capital in 2017.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) presented Hussain the "Hero to Animals" award as the ban helped save the lives of animals and human beings. The organisation noted there were several cases of casualties reported before manja was banned due to its sharp edges.
During activities like kite flying, manja gets entangled with electricity cables, trees and other buildings. This not only hampers smooth electricity transmission but also harms birds by posing risks to them.
In January 2017, the Delhi government banned the sale, production, storage, supply, import and use of all forms of manja to bring down casualties related to it.
Speaking on the occasion, Hussain said the Delhi government is committed to improving the living conditions not only for human beings but also for birds and animals. So the government is paying more attention to the development of forests and city forests which promote the conservation and development of biodiversity, he said.
He said Delhi government is also committed to adopt new technologies which would help in preventing cruelty and abuse of animals. In this context, the minister mentioned that the use and promotion of e-rickshaws by the Delhi government had led to reduced dependence on animal labour for ferrying passengers.
The policy of PETA is to ensure animals do not suffer in laboratories, food industries, leather trade, recreational businesses like circus, roadshows. It is also actively involved in policy formulation and legislative work with governments in order to improve the quality of life of animals.