Hyderabad Police warn kite sellers against purchasing Chinese manja

Kite and manja sellers in Hyderabad have been warned against even placing advance orders or making payments for Chinese manja, with police seeking to choke its supply before demand for the prohibited synthetic string picks up during winter before Sankranti.

The Golconda Zone police held a meeting with kite shop owners and sellers at the Nampally Exhibition Grounds, cautioning them against purchasing, booking, stocking, transporting, distributing or selling Chinese manja.

“Shop owners should not make advance payments or enter into arrangements for purchasing Chinese manja. Once they procure or stock it in advance, there is a possibility that they may later attempt to sell it to recover their investment,” Golconda Zone DCP J. Raghavender Reddy said.

The DCP made it clear that money already spent on procuring the prohibited string would not be accepted as a justification for subsequently selling it. Those found involved in its procurement, stocking, transportation, distribution or sale would face legal action, he warned.

The meeting was also attended by Goshamahal ACP K. Chandra Sekhar Reddy, Kulsumpura ACP V. Tirupathi and area inspectors.

Pointing to the risks posed by the string, the police recalled several serious incidents reported in Hyderabad in recent years. In January 2023, a six-year-old girl travelling with her father on a two-wheeler near the Nagole flyover suffered a severe neck injury after her throat was cut by Chinese manja.

A year later, Indian Army Naik Kagithala Koteswar Reddy suffered a fatal throat injury while riding a two-wheeler near the Indira Reddy flyover at Langar Houz. According to police, a Chinese manja string dangling from a kite caught on an electric pole became entangled around his neck.

In January 2025, a Hyderabad police constable riding a motorcycle on the Tilak Nagar-Narayanguda flyover road suffered a deep cut to his neck after Chinese manja became entangled around it. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

The danger extends to birds as well. Police said an animal rescue organisation reported rescuing 1,175 birds in and around Hyderabad during 2024, of which 400 died during rescue or rehabilitation.

“Chinese manja is generally made of synthetic or nylon material and may be coated with abrasive substances. Its strength and sharpness can cause deep cuts, with two-wheeler riders particularly vulnerable to strings suspended across roads and flyovers,” explained the DCP.

Discarded strings caught on trees, buildings and electric poles can also continue to endanger people, birds and animals after kite flying has stopped, he added.

The officer appealed to traders to encourage customers, particularly children, to use permitted kite strings and inform police if they come across anyone selling or distributing Chinese manja. Parents, children and kite-flying enthusiasts were also urged not to purchase or use the prohibited string.