DNA Special: How kite flying is turning into a deadly hobby, courtesy Chinese manjha

The country is gearing up to celebrate the festival of freedom. You too might be preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in your own way. Maybe you have also planned kite flying with your friends and family on this day. But if you live in the capital Delhi, then you must read about this deadly hobby of Delhiites – nothing else but kite flying.

This hobby has become fatal because today kite-flyers are using Chinese manjha and this manjha is slicing not only kites but also people's lives.

On Sunday, a boy named Abhinav was badly injured after being struck by Chinese manja in Delhi, after which he was admitted to the hospital and his condition is still critical.

This is the second such incident within a few days. Before that on July 25, the Chinese manjha had cut a person in Delhi who was on a bike. The manjha got wrapped around his neck while he was passing a flyover. Gripped by the manjha, he got a wound about 2 inches deep in his neck. People immediately took him to the hospital, but his life could not be saved. A case of willful murder has been registered.

This is not the first accident caused by Chinese manjha. In the last few years, there have been many such accidents which have also been in the news. Many people have lost their lives in these incidents and have also been injured. Chinese Manjha is very dangerous not only for humans but also for animals and birds, and every year hundreds of birds lose their lives by getting entangled in it.

According to the information given by Delhi Police, so far 256 cases have been registered in cases related to Chinese Manjha, while 137 people have been arrested till 31st July under Environment Protection Act.

Today, kite flying competitions are organised in many countries of the world including India. But the oldest evidence of kite flying is found in China. There was also military use of kites during the reign of the Han dynasty.

The military commanders there also used kites to find out the position and distance of the enemy army. It is said that kite flying has also reached India via China. 

The Delhi High Court has also dismissed a petition seeking a ban on kite flying, calling kite flying a cultural activity.

"Delhi High Court said that kite flying is a cultural activity and it cannot be stopped, instead the administration has to properly implement the ban on Chinese Synthetic Manjha."

Now this question must also be arising in your mind: Why is this Manjha so dangerous and how can a thin thread kill people?

The reason for this is that the ordinary manja used for kite flying is made of cotton, but the Chinese manja is made of nylon and other synthetic materials. This manja is coated with glass, iron powder and many other chemicals. Because of this, the manjha becomes even more sharp and deadly.

Chinese manjha is stretchable instead of ordinary manjha, that is, it keeps on stretching instead of breaking. Not only this, due to the use of metal powder in Chinese Manjha, it is a conductor of electricity, that is, current can flow through it and hence there is a risk of electric shock.

But despite being aware of its dangers, it is in high demand in the market today, because when people fly kites, they want their kites not to be cut and they can cut more and more kites of others. 

In the year 2017, NGT i.e., National Green Tribunal had completely banned this Manjha in Delhi. Under the Delhi Environment Department, a notification was issued on January 10, 2017, according to which there is a complete ban on nylon, plastic and any kind of synthetic material for kite flying in Delhi.

Apart from this, threads made of glass, metal or other sharp objects have also been banned for flying kites. According to the rules, threads made of cotton thread can be used to fly kites, but they also have some kind of thread. Sharp objects should not be used.

Violation of these rules is punishable with severe punishment. If anyone is found doing so, they can be punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years and also with a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

Despite having such strict rules, today the business of Chinese Manjha is booming in the national capital. Businessmen are flouting the law and selling these deadly manjha to the people, and there is no shortage of those who buy. Manjha traders are adopting hi-tech methods to dodge the police and they are using social media platforms like Facebook for this.

This manja is so dangerous that if a person moving at high speed gets caught by it, then it can reach the bones by cutting not only the skin or nerves but also his muscles. Doctors say that despite the ban, the number of victims of Chinese manja is increasing continuously.

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