Khushi Bajpai
Published on: September 8, 2022 at 21:58 IST
The Delhi High Court has ruled that sharp metallic or glass components and adhesives cannot be used to alter the kite flying thread so that it may be used for sparring with other athletes.
The Delhi Government clarified in its notification prohibiting the sale and manufacture of Chinese Manjha for kite flying that the activity will only be permitted from cotton thread, free from any sharp, metallic, or glass components. This was noted by a division bench made up of Justices Vibhu Bahru and Amit Mahajan.
“This is clear, to ensure that the persons, who engage in kite flying, use thread that is incapable of causing any injuries. It prohibits them from taking steps to sharpen the kite flying thread by use of sharp metallic or glass components and adhesives.
A person flying kites cannot modify the kite flying thread to sharpen the same for the purposes of sparring with fellow sportspersons,” the court said.
Thus, the bench rejected a request made by a manufacturer of kite flying thread who insisted that the material was completely biodegradable.
The argument opposed the Delhi Government’s announcement on January 10, 2017, which outlawed the use, importation, storage, manufacturing, and sale of kite flying thread composed of nylon, plastic, or Chinese Manjha in the nation’s capital.
The Delhi Government would need to explicitly state that trading cotton thread that is stronger than a certain tensile strength would be illegal if it wanted to forbid strengthening of the thread used for kite flying, according to the Delhi High Court.
