4 people injured in MP, 250 birds hurt in Delhi: What authorities are doing to curb Chinese kite threat ahead of Independence Day

Bhopal/Delhi: The banned Chinese manjha — a synthetic, glass-coated kite string — has once again marred festivities in the run-up to Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan, leaving several people and birds injured despite prohibitory orders and repeated police crackdowns.

In Ratlam district, four people were wounded in three separate incidents along Jawara Road on Saturday.

The most serious occurred near Ghatala Bridge at around 4:45 p.m., when 18-year-old Sameer Khan, son of Shakoor Khan and a resident of Bapunagar, sustained deep neck injuries after a stray kite string entangled around his throat while he was riding into the city for shopping. Bystanders helped rush him to the district hospital, where emergency surgery was performed to repair his windpipe. His condition remains critical, with doctors stating, “an immediate surgical procedure could save his life.”

Earlier that afternoon, around 3:30 p.m., Anand Gosar (25) and his wife Muskan were injured near the same bridge. The kite string struck Anand’s neck, causing deep cuts to his throat and fingers as he tried to remove it. Muskan sustained injuries to her hand. In another incident, Jitendra (22), from Bangrod, suffered serious throat injuries and is also undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

Despite a formal ban issued by the National Green Tribunal and enforced locally by the Ratlam District Collector, sales continue during kite-flying festivals. Following Saturday’s incidents, raids were launched across multiple areas to seize reels and penalise vendors.

In Delhi, police have seized over 1,800 reels of Chinese manjha since June 26. The Crime Branch and district teams have arrested multiple sellers, but officers acknowledge the seizures represent “just the tip of the iceberg.”

Sellers are reportedly rebranding the product under names like Moye-Moye, Dhurandhar, Delhi King, and Super Fighter to evade detection. Many are now selling only through personal contacts or home deliveries.

On June 26, police arrested a man with over 200 reels; a day later, 922 reels were recovered in another raid. On August 4, 650 rolls were seized, while two men from Ghaziabad were caught with 660 rolls meant for distribution across the capital.

Danger to people and birds

Chinese manjha’s sharp coating can slice through flesh and feathers alike, posing a lethal threat to humans, birds, and animals. In Delhi, recent years have seen multiple deaths of motorcyclists who unknowingly rode into manjha loops stretched across roads.

In one past incident, a seven-year-old girl was killed instantly when the string slit her throat as she rode with her family in west Delhi. In another, a 30-year-old man died after being cut across the neck on a flyover near Shastri Park, causing him to fall.

Bird rescues have surged ahead of Independence Day. Between August 1 and 4, over 250 birds were treated for deep cuts, broken limbs, or loss of eyesight, according to the NGO Vidya Sagar Jeev Daya Parivar, which runs a round-the-clock bird ambulance service in Delhi-NCR.

Why the ban is flouted

Cheaper and stronger than traditional cotton thread, Chinese manjha is favoured for kite fights and its ability to cut rivals’ kites easily. Police say consignments are smuggled into Delhi from Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, Bahadurgarh, and other towns in western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, using unmarked packaging and late-night deliveries to avoid detection.

Despite awareness drives and strict orders, the banned string continues to claim lives and injure wildlife, prompting intensified raids in the run-up to Independence Day.

With IANS, PTI inputs