Hyderabad police warn kite sellers against buying Chinese manja

Dragon and manja sellers in Hyderabad have been warned not to even make advance orders or payments for Chinese manja, with police trying to stifle its supply before demand for the banned synthetic string picks up during the pre-Sankranti winter.

The Golconda zone police held a meeting with kite shop owners and sellers at the Nampally exhibition ground and warned them against buying, booking, storing, transporting, distributing or selling Chinese manja.

“Shopkeepers should not make advance payments or make arrangements to buy Chinese manja. Once they procure or stock it in advance, there is a possibility that they may try to sell it later to recover their investment,” Golconda Zone DCP J. Raghavender Reddy said.

The DCP has made it clear that money already spent on acquiring the banned chain will not be accepted as justification for its subsequent sale. He warned that those caught buying, storing, transporting, distributing or selling it would face legal action.

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

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

A year later, Indian Army Naik Kagithala Koteswar Reddy sustained a fatal neck injury while riding a two-wheeler near the Indira Reddy Flyover at Langar Houz. According to police, a Chinese manja cord hanging from a kite caught on an electric pole got tangled around his neck.

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

Birds are also at risk. Police said the animal rescue organization reported rescuing 1,175 birds in and around Hyderabad during 2024, of which 400 died during rescue or rehabilitation.

“The 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 over roads and flyovers,” the DCP explained.

Discarded strings caught on trees, buildings and power poles can continue to pose a threat to people, birds and animals even after kite-flying is stopped, he added.

The officer appealed to traders to encourage customers, especially children, to use the permitted kite strings and to inform the police if they come across anyone selling or distributing Chinese manja. Parents, children and kite flying enthusiasts have also been urged not to buy or use the banned string.

Published – 01 Oct 2026 20:22 IST