Lucknow: Not just Chinese manjha, which is banned in UP, the glass-coated kite strings, including indigenous varieties known as reel, saddi and toon, are equally dangerous and have led to several fatal and injury-causing incidents in recent months.Despite an existing ban on the manufacture, sale and use of Chinese manjha, local markets continue to sell the glass-coated strings, many of which are sourced from small-scale, unregulated units. Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, organiser of a kite-flying competition, said, “The allowed manjha, or reel, during kite-flying competitions should be made of cotton thread, which should break when pulled once, and 2 feet of manjha should bear 1.40 kg weight. If the kite flyer’s manjha does not fulfil the requirement, they are not allowed to compete in the competition. However, people who fly kites locally from terraces do not follow the rules, and they use thread made of synthetic and thick thread that may cause harm if people encounter it.” Police records and hospital reports indicate that victims include 2-wheeler riders, cyclists and pedestrians. Most incidents occur when strings get entangled around the neck or limbs of commuters moving at speed. In several cases, riders lose control of their vehicles after sudden contact with kite strings stretched across roads or intersections. Medical professionals in city hospitals report deep cut injuries, nerve damage and, in some instances, fatal throat wounds. Doctors stated that the risk increases during kite-flying seasons and festive periods, when the use of glass-coated strings rises sharply. “We avoid stepping out during evening hours because kite strings are often left hanging across lanes. It is dangerous, especially for children and elderly people,” said Rakesh Verma, a resident of Indiranagar. Another resident, Shabana Khan from Chowk, said, “Authorities seize Chinese manjha, but local glass-coated strings are still easily available.” Manish Awasthi, a resident of Daliganj, said, “You can easily find the Chinese manjha and even the steel wire used for kite flying. The shopkeepers put banned material in other nearby shops, and from there one can easily find the manjha or wire.”
