Actress Sonam Kapoor has urged Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil to ban the manufacture of glass-coated strings (manja), used for flying kites, in the entire state as many birds die after getting entangled in them.

"I humbly request your support for the recent ban on 'manja' in Mumbai as well as your immediate action to extend the ban throughout Maharashtra, " she said in a letter to Patil.

"The use of 'manja' may be amusing for some, but for many families - human and bird alike - whose loved ones lose their lives, it is a situation that can be definitely prevented, " Sonam added.

She has made the request on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India after the Mumbai police banned the use of glass-coated 'manja' for flying kites within the city because of injuries and fatalities to both birds and humans.

The 'manja' used in kite-flying competitions is gummed and coated with powdered and finely crushed glass, making it lethal for birds who become entangled after the strings get caught in trees or on poles.