TNN, Dec 4, 2010, 04.48am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Save-birds-dont-fly-kites-in-morning-and-evening-Govt/articleshow/7039625.cms#ixzz178mrV6g8
AHMEDABAD: Ahead of the Uttarayan festival, the state forest and environment department has issued a strange advisory this year. The department has advised against flying kites between 6am and 8am and 5pm and 7pm because birds are most active at that time. The notification has also imposed a complete ban on Chinese and any kind of plastic threads to fly kites in the state. Although this is not the first time that there is a ban on Chinese manja, this year the notification comes over a month in advance. Principal secretary, forest and environment, SK Nanda said, "The department does not have manpower nor can it ask the police to enter each house and enforce the ban on flying kites. So we want people to have a soft heart for the birds and hence they should restrain from flying kites during morning and evening hours when bird flying activity is maximum". He also added that the ban on any kind of plastic manja will be imposed very strictly and those found violating will be booked.
Officials said that on an average about 50 lakh km of manja was used every year during the Uttarayan festival, of which around 30-35 per cent was Chinese manja. The department while banning Chinese and plastic manja has also taken into account the side affects on environment and also the animals. The notification states that this manja causes blockages in the sewerage system, and also harms cows and other stray animals who eat these plastic thread.
