Indian Medical Association Urges Centre to Save Lives by Prohibiting Glass-Coated Cotton String and ALL Forms of Manja Following PETA India Appeal

Following an appeal from PETA India, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, addressing the dangers posed by cotton kite strings reinforced with glass powder or metal in addition to the notorious nylon “Chinese” manja. Acknowledging the growing threat to public health posed by the manja menace, the doctors’ association prescribes the nationwide prohibition of all sharp kite-flying threads. Manja kills thousands of birds and many people every year.

States and union territories like Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura have issued similar directions prohibiting all forms of manja, including cotton threads coated with strengthening or abrasive materials such as glass or metal alloys, and allowing only plain cotton thread for kite-flying. The IMA letter also cites the injuries and loss of life that manja is responsible for, affirming that there’s no place for such dangerous threads in India.

Manja, in all its forms, puts humans, other animals, and the environment at risk. Razor-sharp strings made of nylon or cotton threads laced with glass powder and metal have a disastrous impact on public health. People have lost their lives to the lethal strings, often after it slashes their throats while they’re walking, riding on motorcycles or scooters, or travelling in cars with their heads sticking out of the window. In January 2023, over 10 people died from manja-related injuries in Gujarat, and 1281 accidents were reported in the state between January 14 and 15. An 11-year-old boy in Jalandhar also recently sustained nearly 90% burn injuries after his metal-coated kite string came in contact with an overhead high-tension wire. In another incident, a man wearing a balaclava, a helmet with a visor, and hand gloves was still unable to escape injury from manja when the thread coated with powdered glass flew across his visor. When such deadly strings are used, it’s only a matter of when the next injury or death will occur.

Save Birds and Humans From Deadly Manja