CUTTACK: The administration has imposed restrictions on kite flying in non-designated public places and on roof tops here. It has allowed people to fly kites only in open spaces identified for the purpose. The restrictions have been imposed by Cuttack collector Arabinda Agarwal keeping in view Makar Sankranti on Monday when a large number of people fly kites.The administration has also pressed for the use of simple cotton threads for flying kites while continuing with its ban on the use of Chinese and Indian manja in which plastic, nylon or cotton thread is used with an abrasive coat of crushed glass stuck on it. The process of coating glass powder on any kind of thread makes it razor sharp and a cause of accidents. “For the safety of the people, 10 places have been identified for the public to fly kites,” district information and public relations officer (DIPRO), Cuttack, Ashok Kumar Sarangi said on Sunday. The places earmarked for kite-flying are Baliyatra ground, Bidanasi ground, Sunshine ground, OMP ground, Kathajodi river bed, the ground next to Khannagar park, Potapokhari ground, the ground next to Panchamukhi Hanuman temple, CDA Biju Patnaik Chakh ground and Naraj helipad ground.“The collector has warned traders against the sale of manja thread used in the city. A special squad has been assigned the job of conducting raids on shops selling Chinese manja thread,” Sarangi said.The district administration had first imposed a restriction on the use of manja thread after a minor girl died in a mishap near Telengapentha on January 18, 2016. The tragic incident occurred on NH-5 at Telengapenth under Cuttack Sadar police station limits after a glass-coated string slit the throat of Swetalina Behera while she was travelling with her parents on a motorcycle.

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