Kite strings kill infants and man on motorbike in India

The provincial government in India's capital New Delhi has banned the use of glass-coated Chinese manjha or kite string after the thread slit the throats of two children and a 22-year old man in three incidents across the city.

Police said Sanchi Goyal (3) was travelling in a car with her parents in northwest Delhi on India’s Independence Day on Monday, peering out of the sunroof, when the near-invisible nylon kite string coated, with glass shards, chemicals and metal bits struck her, slitting her throat. She was declared dead on arrival in hospital.

Soon after, a four-year old boy named Hari died in almost identical circumstances in nearby Janakpuri, while travelling in his parents’ car.

In another incident, Zafar Khan (22), a biker, died from injuries sustained after he tumbled from his motorbike after his neck got entangled in kite string as he was driving home.

Police said Mr Khan tried to free himself from the string, which only became more restrictive. He died a short while later in hospital.

Police have registered cases of death by negligence. But senior officials conceded that little was expected to emerge from their investigations, as the kites could have been flown from anywhere in the extended vicinity of the accidents.

Officials said a police officer on security duty in the city too was badly injured by kite string, while a charitable aviary in Delhi’s walled city area reported more than 500 bird injuries and deaths caused by the near invisible twine.

Officials from the Jain Temple Bird Charitable Bird Hospital said August and September were the worst months for birds as kite flying was at its peak during this period that coincided with the monsoon and varied seasonal festivals.

Kite flying is a favoured sport across India, especially on auspicious occasions such as Independence Day, when millions of them dot the sky.

Enthusiasts practise for weeks and employ Chinese manjha, which is banned in several Indian states other than Delhi. Kite flying buffs, however, still surreptitiously use it, despite scores of people having been either killed or injured by it over years.

The Delhi government’s notification on Tuesday banning Chinese string permits the use of thread made from cotton or natural fibre to fly kites, but without any metallic or glass components. Any violations would be punishable with a five-year jail term.