Hyderabad: With Sankranti inching closer, the skies are turning into a collage of
colourful kites. However, this once again brings into focus the danger of
using manjas, especially the Chinese ones made of deadly monofilament
fishing lines, which pose a danger to those using it as well as onlookers
and passersby in the vicinity.
In 2022, eight persons suffered severe wounds due to the manja, while 67
birds were killed. This January, 12 bird deaths have been reported so far.
While the state government banned the use of Chinese manja in 2016 and the
national green tribunal also banned it under Section 5 of the Environment
Protection Act, the banned synthetic string continues to be sold.
A kite seller in Dhoolpet, a popular hub for buying manjha, said that he has
four types of manja, each costing ₹450, ₹550, ₹650 and ₹700 for 900 metres.
On being queried further, he admitted to having stock of the Chinese manja,
which costs ₹900, but said that he sells it only to those who particularly
seek it.
"The ₹450-550 are kid-friendly threads. As the prices go up, the sharpness
of the thread increases," he said.
Amid the festive season, animal rights bodies are undertaking awareness
campaigns, urging the public to refrain from using nylon and glass-coated
threads.
"These are the most preferred manjas for kite fights, and a large portion of
these lie entangled in trees, which prove fatal for birds, animals,
two-wheeler riders and pedestrians too," said Soudharm Bhandari,
coordinator, Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(GHSPCA).
A veterinary doctor said that injured birds take weeks to recover and may
lose their ability to fly, and that over 50 per cent of the injured birds
last year died during treatment.
Members of the Animal Rescue Organisation (ARO) said that kite flyers must
be responsible and collect the manja from open spaces and trees. The
organisation has also deployed teams to check such instances. "We will be
doing this until a week after the festival ends," a member of ARO said.
They also advised two-wheeler riders to be watchful, drive slow and wear a
helmet or a neck protector.
