NEW DELHI: Following the death of one person caused by a kite string, the Delhi Police on Wednesday issued strict instructions against the use of Chinese kite string, which had been banned in Delhi since 2017. With Independence Day two weeks away, police have also started inspecting markets for the sale of the same.
“We urge all citizens not to use Chinese manjha (kite string) for their entertainment. It can be fatal for birds, humans and animals as well. There are certain sections under the IPC endangering the safety of others,” said DCP (PRO) Suman Nalwa, adding that under the Environment Act a person found selling or using shall be penalised with fine of Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment of five years.
On July 25, 30-year-old Sumit Kumar died after a Chinese string strangled his neck when he was returning home on his bullet bike after meeting his friends. This incident happened at the Haiderpur flyover, near VIIPS college. DCP (northwest) Usha Rangnani said a call was received at Maurya Enclave station regarding a person who got injured with a string at Haiderpur flyover. “The injured man was rushed to the Saroj Hospital where the doctor declared him ‘brought dead’,” the DCP said.
Sumit was the sole bread earner of his family which consists of – his father, mother and wife. He had a hardware shop at Pepsi road in Burari. A few days ago, a Greater Noida resident also sustained serious injuries after his throat was cut of by a kite string at Usmanpur. The use and sale of Kite and thread are quite high in the North East, North West, Central and Shahdra regions of the capital.
DCP (northeast) Sanjay Sen said the district has adopted two-fold strategies to curb the use of Chinese string. “First to keep vigil over the shopkeepers and second to create awareness among road users to be careful while using the main road,” the DCP said.