Two days after three lives were lost in separate incidents due to kite strings, the spotlight is back on the ‘killer’ manjha.
In the first case, a man fell of his motorcycle after his neck got stuck in a kite string (manjha). The other two deaths took place on Tuesday, where two children died in separate incidents. In both these cases, the children were out with their parents on a ride when their necks were slit by kite threads while peering out of the car sunroof. When the two children were rushed to the hospital following the incident, they were declared brought dead.
Even a Delhi Police sub-inspector (SI) Manoj Kumar was injured after a kite thread grazed his neck on Monday, while he was returning to Anand Vihar police station on his bike after patrol duty on account of Independence Day.
READ: Killer kite strings claim 3 lives during Independence Day festivities in Delhi
The Delhi High Court, in the meantime, had only last week asked the government, MCD officials and police to raise awareness about the threat posed by sharp manjhas. In its judgment, the court had brought up 15 different cases in UP, Delhi and Rajasthan in the last two years due to injuries caused by sharp manjhas.
The court, in its judgment, had mentioned 15 separate cases reported from Delhi, UP and Rajasthan in the last two years of deaths due to injuries caused by manjha.
The judgment had been issued on a PIL filed by one Delhi resident Zulfikar in May this year, which sought a ban on the use of the synthetic “Chinese manjha” in Delhi.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Hussain said last year, a neighbour’s son, who was riding his bike, was seriously injured by a manjha. “I had also read news reports about several other injuries and deaths caused by the string,” said Hussain. On the August 10, the court in its judgment had declined to “immediately ban” the use of Chinese manjha but instead directed the Delhi government to expedite the process to issue the required notification under the Environment Protection Act.
ALSO READ: Why Chinese manjha sells more: Cheaper, tougher
“More material and adequate data requires to be collected and evaluated and opportunity is to be given to raise objections, before prohibiting or restricting the handling of hazardous substances in accordance with the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Rules”, the high court bench observed.
Last year, BSES’ area had reported 48 disruptions due to kite flying
However, despite the Delhi High Court’s decision to clamp down on the use of nylon threads for kite flying, also referred to as “Chinese manjha”, numerous shopkeepers in Old Delhi’s Lal Kuan area have been illegally selling the glass-coated thread.
READ: Delhi government bans Chinese ‘maanjha’ after kite string kills two
But what is this ‘Chinese manjha’ and how is it made?
It is the market name for nylon/synthetic threads which are treated with glass/metal to make them sharper. It is not made in China but manufactured in India. The cotton manjha used to break easily. Instead of breaking, the Chinese manjha cuts through the skin.
Sachin Gupta, president of the Kathkargha Laghu Patang Udyog Samiti, a body of kite sellers, explained why nylon manjha is tougher than regular ones. He said that the nylon string is coated with chemicals to make it tougher and sharper so that it does not break easily. Bareilly cotton manjha, on the other hand, is made from rice flour and a mix of desi masalas, and break easily.
The police, however, say that it’s difficult to look into who is buying manjha and will try to look into shops where sharp manjha is sold. Rani Bagh Police Station SHO Indira Rathore said they will investigate nearby shops to see if they can find who is selling such hazardous manjha. “But it will not be easy to figure out who had bought the manjha or who exactly can be held responsible for the deaths of the child,” Rathore said.
Noting the number of injuries caused to people on account of pucca thread made of plastic or similar material, the government’s notification regarding the manjha is noteworthy. The notification proposed a complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply and use of nylon, plastic and Chinese manjha and other kite flying threat that is laced made out of glass, metal or sharp objects. Kite flying will be permitted only with a cotton thread or natural fibre, free from metallic and glass components.
“Many injuries are caused due to such material. These injuries can be fatal. It is therefore desirable to protect people from these kite threads…,” stated the notification.
The notification, though, came in a bit late. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, however, explained the delay behind the notification saying the environment secretary had been ‘sitting on the file’. “Writing to LG requesting him action against Environment Secretary for gross negligence in duty and insensitiveness in Chinese manjha case…Environment Secretary took 7 days to issue notification though file was cleared by my and Env Minister’s office within minutes on 9th August…Chinese manja…is dangerous. Safety of citizens non-negotiable,” he said in a series of tweets.
READ: Manish Sisodia seeks action against Environment Secretary for delay in banning Chinese manja
The government has further said that the notification was being issued according to the Environment Protection Act and that it will be taken up for consideration on 60 days after seeking comments from the public. The violation will attract a 5-year jail term, a fine that can be extended to Rs 1 lakh, or both.
