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As the kite flying festival approaches, the NMC and police department have scaled up surveillance in each zone.On Wednesday, the NMC nuisance detection squad seized 1,000 plastic kites from Patang Bazaar in Juni Shukrawari while Kalamna police recovered 35 bundles of the banned manja the same day.
The deadly strings were banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2017 across the nation. Also known as Chinese manja, the dangling glass-coated nylon threads have claimed several lives especially ahead of Makar Sankranti every year.
Dr Gajendra Mahalle, deputy municipal commissioner, said the civic body can’t do much about online sale of the banned manja but action on shops will continue. “All zones have been directed to check all shops selling kite flying material. The banned materials are being seized and a penalty of ₹5000 is imposed on first time offenders,” he said.
Dr Mahalle added that the civic body would be circulating video clips to make citizens aware of the harms of Chinese manja.
Arvind Kumar Raturi, activist, said WhatsApp group have been formed to clandestinely sell the nylon threads. “A contact person from each area is added to these groups and demands are catered through them. The racketeers are also keeping regular thread like saadi or Bareilly manja to deceive cops and civic officials,” he said.
Raturi added that not just human lives, even animals and birds are in danger from the nylon manja. “The manja is no more coming from outside but is being manufactured in some notorious pockets of the city. We often inform the cops and the NMC of manja being sold but mild action is taken every year. In fact, accused should be booked for culpable homicide,” he said.
“A couple along with their infant child had a miraculous escape on Sakkardara flyover after their vehicle came in contact with the manja on Tuesday evening. Luckily, passers-by helped them get rid of the thread,” he said. Last year, long threads were removed from the stomach of a calf, he said.
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A police constable named Sameer Jadhav was killed when a banned Chinese nylon manja, which was a kite string, slit his throat on the Vakola flyover. The police are now searching for the owner of the shop that sold the sharp manja. Dr. Rahul Khushuwa, a passerby, tried to help Jadhav by wrapping his neck with a cloth, but he succumbed to the injury at Sion Hospital. The police have registered a case against an unknown person and are trying to track down the shopkeeper who sold the manja.
Parents and activists are urging strict action against the sale and use of banned nylon manja for flying kites during Makar Sankranti. The Bombay High Court has called for surprise checks and license cancellations of shops selling the banned threads, as well as checks on e-commerce websites. However, little progress has been made in curbing the availability of these dangerous manjas. The sharp nylon manjas pose a grave danger to birds, animals, and people. Recent incidents, including the death of a police constable, highlight the urgency for action.
Police in Mumbai have registered 19 cases against shop owners for selling banned Chinese nylon manja after a constable on a bike died from a loose kite string slitting his throat on the Western Express Highway. Reels worth Rs 44,450 were seized from the shop owners, with five arrests made and fines collected. The arrested violators were booked under IPC sections for disobedience and endangering life, as well as the Environment Protection Act due to the threat to birds. The ban on Chinese manja was implemented in March by the state government.
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