Atharv Anand
On Raksha Bandhan and Krishna Janmashtami, Jammu’s rooftops burst with energy. Children laugh, elders cheer, and colourful “Guddi” dot the sky as voices cry “Chal Gayi Aaa!”.
This is more than a game; it is a cherished tradition woven into the city’s cultural soul. But in recent years, a deadly shadow has threaded into this joy, the Gattu Door, a synthetic string coated with glass or metal. Once valued for giving an edge in kite battles, it is now infamous for slicing human flesh, injuring birds, and even damaging power lines.
From Fun to Fatal
Kite flying has been part of Jammu’s identity for generations – a joyful thread that connects children to parents, elders to their youth, and neighbours to each other. It is a celebration of colour, freedom, skill, and friendly rivalry that turns ordinary rooftops into arenas of festivity.
But no tradition, however beloved, should come at the price of a human life or the suffering of animals. The spirit of Patang Baazi lies in community, not in competition at any cost.
Every festive season, hospitals in Jammu and Udhampur treat motorcyclists, pedestrians, and even children injured by these near invisible threads.
Wildlife groups report that up to a third of bird rescues during North India’s kite festivals involve injuries from such strings. Even after the celebrations end, the synthetic filament lingers on trees and wires, and when it falls into rivers, it can harm aquatic life too.
Legal Action & Why Stronger Laws Are Needed
To curb the rising toll, the District Magistrate recently invoked Section?163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, banning the sale, purchase, storage, and use of Gattu Door in the district.
Section?163 BNSS is a preventive tool designed for urgent situations, allowing swift, temporary restrictions without court delays when there is an imminent threat to life or safety.
It is valuable in emergencies like the festival season but is time?bound, requires renewal, and lacks the structured deterrence of a permanent statutory ban.
Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
By contrast, Section?5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 offers a permanent and enforceable solution. It empowers the Central Government and, by delegated power, the State Government or authorised officers to issue binding directions to close, prohibit, or regulate any harmful activity and stop the supply of electricity, water, or services; and regulate or mandate safe alternatives.
Crucially, such orders can be issued without waiting for a court order, enabling immediate preventive action.
When tackling Gattu Door, the government can ban it permanently, seize hazardous stock, enforce safe cotton strings, and coordinate between police, municipal bodies, and wildlife authorities.
Adding Section 15 of the EPA gives the law real teeth: violators can face up to Rs 1 lakh in fines and/or 5 years’ imprisonment, creating strong deterrence for repeat offenders, suppliers, and black?market traders.
BNSS 163 is the quick shield; EPA?5 &?15 are the long?term armour that Jammu needs to reclaim its skies.
A Tradition Worth Saving
The choice now rests with us as citizens, parents, and neighbours. That means backing stronger laws like the EPA ban alongside quick DM orders, supporting consistent enforcement during festival seasons, and ensuring the market moves toward safe, eco?friendly alternatives. Communities can organise awareness drives before Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, set up volunteer “sky safety teams” to monitor rooftops, and work with schools to educate young flyers on responsible practices.
We can protect this heritage by making it safer, choosing harmless cotton strings, guiding children on safe flying zones, and respecting fellow flyers and wildlife sharing our skies. If we collaborate, enforcing the law, educating the public, and choosing safer ways to celebrate kite flying will remain a proud emblem of Jammu’s culture for generations to come.
This is not about ending a festival. It is about preserving it for the future, in a form where no child’s laughter is interrupted by tragedy, no bird falls from the air entangled in a deadly thread, and no family loses a loved one to a preventable hazard.
Gattu Door by the Numbers
100+ injuries reported in Jammu every kite season
1 in 3 bird rescues during festivals are caused by manja strings
Rs 1 lakh fine + 5 years’ imprisonment penalty under EPA Section 15
2017 – The Year the National Green Tribunal banned synthetic kite strings
(The writer is student of BA LLB, at NLU Lucknow UP)
