Gujarat’s state government informed the high court on Friday, a day before Uttarayan celebrations, that since January 9 it has received 68 complaints on the use and sale of Chinese threads on its dedicated helpline.
Moreover, the state government stated that the Gujarat Police’s cybercrime unit has been ordered to take appropriate action against the sale and purchase of such illegal goods via online marketplaces like Amazon.
The submissions came in a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking effective implementation of the state’s circular of 2016 and in compliance with orders of the court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning the use of Chinese kite threads and Chinese lanterns.
The state government additionally filed an affidavit on Friday acknowledging compliance with the court’s earlier orders from January 7 regarding raising awareness of the negative effects of using nylon and Chinese threads and Chinese lanterns via print, electronic, and social media, audio announcements, public appeals, the establishment of a dedicated helpline, and the development of awareness programmes in schools and colleges.
The affidavit shows that between January 1, 2022 until January 12 this year, a total of 1,635 FIRs have been registered, including 126 FIRs on January 12 this year. As many as 1,130 accused have been arrested in relation to these FIRs as well as in connection with previous cases, the affidavit notes. The maximum number of FIRs registered on January 12 were in Surat rural (22) followed by Navsari (21), Surat city (12), and Mehsana and Ahmedabad (9 each).
As many as 208 autorickshaws have been rented and deployed for making audio announcements across the state, especially in areas where the plying of four-wheelers is not possible, and such announcements shall continue until January 15, according to the affidavit submitted by Nipuna Torawane, secretary of the Home Department. The document claims that regular announcements are also made in the Raipur, Khadiya, and Dariyapur parts of Ahmedabad’s walled city utilising speakers and microphone. A lot of people fly kites in the walled city, and during Uttarayan, terraces are also rented out for kite flying.