ISLAMABAD: A significant number of kites continue to hover over the skies in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad despite a ban on kite flying but the citizens are flouting the ban, as the administration fails to ensure complete compliance with the restriction.
While some citizens have asked for a complete crackdown on the dealers and stressed for effective implementation of the ban to prevent the loss of precious lives in the name of celebration of a spring festival “Basant”, there are also people who are fully prepared to celebrate it without any worry.
Amjad Ali, a resident of Rawalpindi said that kite-flying was a dangerous activity. A crowd of people including children run after falling kites hoping to catch them. “In doing so, they blindly enter roads, as their eyes are glued on the kites high above them, and more often end up getting seriously injured, or even losing their lives in an accident.”
A young girl named Irum expressed her concerns over aerial firing that had become an integral part of almost all celebrations.
Kite flying is no exception. Whenever a kite was cut, it was followed by intense firing. She told that such people had no regard for others’ safety. “Sounds of fire were annoying and disturbing for law-abiding citizens. Moreover, stray bullets posed threat to their lives.” She called for the ban to be implemented wholly and effectively to protect people from the dangers connected with kite-flying.
Talking about the dangers of using a string containing metallic components (dhati dor), a man who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recalled his narrow escape from getting electrocuted.
“There have been numerous incidents where bikers had their throats slit open with kite strings. Not only do these razor-sharp strings pose danger to humans, but also to birds,” stressed a worried mother.
