JAMSHEDPUR: Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) organised a kite festival at Gopal Maidan on Sunday to promote cleanliness and prevent use of plastic kites on Makar Sankranti.
The motive behind hosting the kite festival was to encourage the kite enthusiasts to use paper kites and cotton strings instead of plastic kites and nylon strings. Blue and green kites which were distributed to the participants carried a cleanliness message ahead of the survey team’s visit in a day or two for Swachhta Sarvekshan.
Sanjay Pandey, special officer (SO), JNAC emphasised on the importance of practicing cleanliness and the use of environment-friendly kites.
Pappu Sardar, a restaurant owner and philanthropist who has been appointed as Swachhta ambassador by JNAC, distributed paper kites to the enthusiasts in Sakchi. “The plastic kite price is relatively cheaper than the paper kite but we should also bear in mind that plastic kites and strings made of any synthetic material are non bio-degradable and causes environmental threat,” he said.
But despite all efforts of the state government, the markets are still flooded with plastic kites and Chinese strings. “Plastic kites and nylon threads are relatively economical and is affordable to the school children who spend their pocket money to purchase them,” said a kite seller at Sakchi market.
Another shop-keeper, who is also into the same trade, said that plastic kites arrived in the market three weeks ago and all the retailers want to finish the existing stock. “In July 2017, National Green Tribunal imposed a ban on the use of kite strings made of synthetic material that is non bio-degradable,” said environmentalist K K Sharma urging the kite traders to honour the NGT’s order.
Throwing light on the potential accidents related to synthetic strings, Sharma said that along with birds, people have also sustained injuries due to them. “Strings hanging from tree branches and electricity poles pose threat to the commuters who fail to see the them and are injured,” Sharma said.
Article Source: Times of India