The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) recently informed the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court that it will initiate legal and criminal proceedings against Facebook and its owner, Meta, if they fail to remove advertisements for the sale of nylon manja from their page Marketplace. This announcement came after counsel for Facebook and Meta failed to respond to the court’s query regarding the steps taken to curb the sale of this dangerous thread. Maharashtra has banned nylon manja due to safety concerns, but clandestine sales of the product continue due to lax policing.

The submission by MPCB is significant as the kite-flying season is currently on, with the festival of Makar Sankranti approaching. Nylon manja is widely used during this festival as part of the kite-flying tradition.

During the court hearing, the division bench criticized Facebook and Meta for their lawyers’ late arrival, even after being granted an adjournment. The judges reprimanded them for not understanding that the court does not function according to their convenience. The bench also questioned why action should not be taken against them for failing to comply with the court’s directives to remove the nylon manja advertisements.

The court hearing was part of a suo motu PIL (Public Interest Litigation) on the lack of regulation in the sale and purchase of manja, despite the safety risks associated with its usage. The amicus curiae, Deven Chauhan, requested the High Court to bring manja products under the ambit of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), ensuring that only manja marked by the Indian Standard Institute is available for sale.

The High Court, while adjourning the hearing to January 17, allowed the amicus to amend the petition by adding BIS and the Union consumer affairs ministry as respondents. Both BIS and the ministry will be issued court notices to file their replies.

It remains to be seen how Facebook and Meta will respond to the court’s directives and if they will take immediate action to remove the nylon manja advertisements from their platform. The outcome of this case could have implications for the regulation of online advertisements and the safety of consumers in Maharashtra and beyond.