NGT’s ban on manja disheartening for kite flying: Nathwani

Ahmedabad: The recent Order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on glass-coated manja for flying kites is uncalled for and would adversely affect the Uttarayan festivity and the people involved in the trade. Shri Parimal Nathwani, Rajya Sabha MP, expressed his views on the recent order by NGT imposing the interim ban on use of glass coated manja for flying kites. Mr. Nathwani has written to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani requesting their intervention in the NGT’s Order in the larger interest of millions of people across the State of Gujarat and the entire country.

Nathwani, in his letter has appreciated the NGT’s concern for hazards of glass coated manja but at the same time said that banning the manja is not the solution. He has said that NGT can issue the guidelines for the use of materials, methods and proportion of ingredients for preparing manja paste/ solution. But the outright ban is uncalled for, he added.

Nathwani has sought intervention from the highest authorities in the State as well as the Country, as the Governments at the helm both in Gujarat as well as the Country, understand the economics of kite flying better. He recalled that Shri Narendra Modi, during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had rightly probed the potential of the kite flying festival and the economics involved in this age-old tradition.

Nathwani also said that kite flying is popular not only in Gujarat but also in several States of India like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi etc. He said that kite flying is the people’s festival, which reflects joy of people and associate them with nature. Not only that, Nathwani added, it is a seasonal trade, engaging millions of people in Kite making and manja preparing, thus, generating employment for them.

Kite flying business in Gujarat alone is 30% of the country, which has increased from Rs.35 Crores in 2000-01 to about Rs.500 Crores of late. It should be noted that Gujarat has the largest per capita kite flyers in the country. It is estimated that 1.5 million families get employment from this cottage industry and around 70% workforce is women. In this context, Mr. Nathwani said that the nation-wide ban by the NGT is highly disheartening and discouraging. It will adversely affect. He, therefore, appealed to all the concerned to look into this issue, intervene and request upon the NGT to re-consider and soften its stand in the interest of millions of people across the country.

DeshGujarat