Mumbai Police registers 92 cases, seizes Rs 1.43 lakh worth nylon manja in city

Mumbai Police on Monday said that it registered 92 cases and took action against 57 people for use and sale of nylon manja in city. The police also seized nylon manja worth over Rs. 1.43 lakh

Mumbai Police on Monday said that it registered 92 cases and took action against 57 people for use and sale of nylon manja in city. The crack down began on December 25 and has been ongoing during the kite flying festival, during which nylon manja worth over Rs 1.43 lakh was seized.

Police said that the action began prior to Makar Sankranti, kite flying festival, from December 25 and untill January 14, multiple actions were taken across the city by different police stations in Mumbai.

"From December 25 to January 14, Mumbai Police registered as many as 92 cases and took action against 57 people in the matter. During the same period nylon manja worth over Rs 1.43 lakh was also seized by the police," a police official said.

He said, the action against use and sale of nylon manja in the city will continue further too.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police had on Friday issued a preventive order banning nylon manja ahead of Makar Sankranti 2024. The order had said that the use of it would be a punishable offence.

Mumbai Police said that it is observed every year that during the kite flying festival, injury is caused to people and birds on account of pucca thread made out of plastic or similar such synthetic material commonly known as nylon manja, these injuries many a times turn out to be fatal causing death of people and birds, and it is therefore desirable to protect people and birds from the fatal effects of the kite flying thread made out of nylon or plastic or synthetic thread.

The order said, extensive use of such synthetic thread which are non bio-degradable, often result in flash-over on the power lines and substations, which may cause power interruptions to consumers, straining and damaging of electrical assets, cause accidents, injuries to wildlife and loss of life, damage to environment and therefore it is necessary to prevent use of such nylon manja for kite flying.

The order said, It is desirable to protect birds which are getting extinct day by day and classified as rare and endangered species. In Makar Sankranti, the kite festival, kite flying takes place in large scale all over Mumbai and hence following order was being issued.

"For the period of 30 days i.e. 12/01/2024 to 10/02/2024, a ban on the use, sale and storage of the pucca threads commonly known as nylon manja made of the plastic or any such synthetic material which is likely to cause grievous injury to the birds as well as to human beings especially during the festivals where kite flying is played, in the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police Commissionerate."

Mumbai Police order further said, this order shall remain in force with effect from 00.01 hrs of 12/01/2024 till 24.00 hrs of 10/02/2024 unless withdrawn earlier. Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code 1860.

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