Kites and manja on display at a stall in Secunderabad, ahead of Makar Sankranti.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.
In Hyderabad, a lethal thread is slicing through bans and safeguards. The notorious ‘Chinese Manja’ or ‘Tangus’, banned for its deadly impact on humans and animals, can still be delivered to your doorstep in just eight minutes, thanks to online sites. Despite the Hyderabad Police and Telangana Forest Department’s ongoing crackdown, the synthetic abrasive thread thrives under the radar.
Branded with names like ‘Pokemon’, ‘Panda’, and ‘Commando’, these threads promise deadly sharpness — one even boasts ‘Smooth like blade sharp’ while another claims ‘Tremendous quality at reasonable price’.On the streets near Dhoolpet here, the tell-tale glint of colorful plastic bobbins wrapped in transparent sheaths reveals that the menace remains far from clipped.
“The thread can be easily identified as it is non-biodegradable and is difficult to cut. We arrested 148 persons for hawking the prohibited goods under Section 15 of Environment (Protection) Act. The crackdown will continue,” informs Ande Srinivas Rao of Commissioner’s Taskforce.
Police estimate the cost of seized goods at ₹90 lakh. “We have not caught anyone today. We are patrolling the streets to ensure nobody sells the banned product,” says a police official in Mangalhat area.
The stretch from Purana Pul to Mangalhat Police Station was a riot of fluorescent colours, as kite makers lined the streets, trying to woo buyers looking for the best bargain. The locally known Tangus thread, once sold for ₹200 to ₹250, now commands a steep price of ₹600 and above.
“There is nothing Chinese about the manja. It is being manufactured and packaged locally in different parts of the country, like Bareilly, Bhiwandi and Surat. You can still buy if you want. The price is a little higher as there is more surveillance,” says Suraj Singh, sitting in one of the kite shops waiting for customers.
“Chinese manja is a loose description, given to kite threads made of nylon and may not necessarily be imported from China,” C.R. Chaudhary had informed Parliament, answering a question, in February 2019. “Despite some reports of injuries to humans, animals and birds in some parts of the country, it has not been found feasible to regulate/restrict import of synthetic/plastic threads alone,” said the former minister, citing India’s commitments to World Trade Oorganization.
The thread has proven to be an environment disaster, killing and maiming wildlife. In January 2024, an Indian Army soldier died after a kite thread slashed his neck in Langar Houz area of Hyderabad.
“An Armyman died due to manja on Langar Houz flyover. But even today, you can buy manja just 10 metres from the flyover. The Langar Houz Police Station is barely 20 meters away from the shop,” city resident Naveen Kumar Akkapally wrote on a social media platform, about the easy availability of the dangerous thread.
Published – January 14, 2025 12:35 am IST
