Exclusive: Chinese manja gone, but local glass-coated ones flood the market

With Makar Sankranti just weeks away the Mumbai police have intensified efforts to prevent the sale of banned Chinese nylon manja and the equally dangerous glasscoated manja in the city following the tragic death of a police constable whose neck was slit by a manja A reality check by midday however revealed that several shops and wholesalers are selling these types of manja without any care for police actions Glasscoated manja which can cause severe injuries or even fatalities is openly available Activists and lawyers say glasscoated manja has been banned but shopkeepers insist that it is legal and they have no information regarding the banGlasscoated manjaA fresh debate over the use of Chinese manja and glasscoated manja has started over the death of Mumbai police constable Sameer Jadhav who was fatally injured on the Vakola bridge after his throat was slit by a manja The police are yet to ascertain whether it was a Chinese manja or a glasscoated one rdquoAny manja which has a coating of glass is banned and only cotton thread manja is allowed We are drafting guidelines and soon the same will be issuedrdquo a senior police officer saidReality checkmiddays Faizan Khan and Shirish Vaktania investigated by visiting several shops in south Mumbai and the suburbs They found that while Chinese manja is unavailable glasscoated manja from UPs Bareilly is easily available as it is ldquonot currently bannedrdquo claimed shopkeepers ldquoAny glasscoated manja can cause severe harm if it comes into contact with birds or humans I have so far rescued more than 10000 birds in my life and most of the rescue calls my NGO gets are during Makar Sankranti City police guidelines state that there is a ban on glasscoated manja as wellrdquo said Sandeep Shah an animal activist from south Mumbai who has been running an animal ambulance service through his NGO Reshmo JeevdayaA biker in Surat seen with a protective frame attached to his bikeAccording to Shah kite flyers prefer sharp manja and cotton manja is not sharp enough to cut the string of kites This high demand for sharpness led to the popularity of Chinese manja ldquoWe are currently checking for Chinese manja sellers but have found none We anticipate that as Makar Sankranti approaches some shopkeepers may resort to selling it in the black market The issue of glasscoated manja is crucial and the authorities should enforce guidelines more effectivelyrdquo Shah saidmidday reporter Faizan Khan visited the main manja market in Mumbais Dongri area but couldnrsquot find any Chinese manja being sold However glasscoated manja which is equally hazardous is sold openly and shopkeepers insist it hasnrsquot been banned ldquoCustomers seek Chinese manja for its sharpness but we refrain from selling it due to the ban and recent incidents Police checks are random Glasscoated manja from Bareilly which is not banned has become popular due to the unavailability of Chinese manja It poses risks of severe injuries if someone comes into contact with itrdquo a shopkeeper saidAnother shopkeeper in the area told the midday reporter that no one purchases the uncoated cotton manja ldquoThe glasscoated manja has become popular but customers want Chinese nylon manja which can be made available during makar sankrantirdquo he said midday reporter Shirish Vaktania visited the markets at Kalbadevi Somvari Bazar Malad Kandivli and Borivali areas A kite seller from Kandivli said ldquoThe Chinese manja and nylon manja are banned but we are selling Indian manja which is glasscoatedmiddayrsquos Shirish Vaktania with glasscoated surti manja obtained from Malad PicsRajesh GuptaThis is not too sharp and it will not harm anyone The cost of a firki and five rolls of string is around Rs 600 The Chinese manja rate is double and costs around Rs 1000Rs 1200 This year Chinese manja is not available in the market as it is banned But it is usually brought in from Gujaratrdquo Another shopkeeper from Kandivli said ldquoWe are not selling Chinese and nylon manja at our shops Surti manja is glass coated and is allowed by the governmentrdquoMeanwhile a shopkeeper from Borivli said ldquoCurrently we only have glasscoated manja available When Makar Sankranti comes close many people start selling Chinese and nylon manja Chinese manja is in high demand as it can easily cut the string of kites but we are not selling itrdquo Another shopkeeper from the Kalbadevi said ldquoWe are only selling Indian manja and surti manja which is glasscoated and sharp Surti manja is allowed We only advise that bikers take precautions during makar sankrantirdquoSpeaking with midday Mitesh Rathodmdashan animal welfare representative of the Animal Welfare Board of India and a trustee of Karuna Trust Virarmdashsaid ldquoThis killer manja is killing birds and also affecting people Every year we rescue more than 1000 birds with the help of the fire brigade team The majority of these calls come during Makar Sankranti Glasscoated manja is also banned but shopkeepers continue to sell it openly in the market The police need to take actionrdquo he saidGujarat cops are also on alertMeanwhile the Gujarat police and municipal corporation are taking precautions to prevent injuries to bikers during Makar Sankranti Surat in Gujarat sees the maximum number of kites being flown The Gujrat traffic police have prohibited bikers on flyovers Bikers also install an iron rod frame on the bike which prevents neck injuries However such measures havenrsquot been seen in Mumbai until now NGOs have demanded that the police and civic body in Mumbai implement similar measures and prohibit bikers from plying on flyovers during Makar Sankranti season The NGOs have also claimed that the civic body doesnrsquot remove manja hanging down from trees which can lead to serious injuriesMitesh Rathod animal welfare representativeA source from Gujarat police told midday ldquoEvery year we prohibit bikers from plying on flyovers during makar sankranti season We also fix a rope on each flyover a week before Makar Sankranti to prevent manja from falling directly on the flyover and ensure that it is above rider level After the season the civic body ensures that all majna hanging from trees wires or any buildings is removed This takes almost a week but results in many birds and peoplersquos lives being savedrdquo The officer further stated that no sellers of Chinese manja were found in Surat this yearRathod has recommended that all bikers install frames on their bikes as it ldquowill help save their neck from manjardquo ldquoAlso the civic body should ensure manja is cleared from trees buildings and wires after the festival This is being done in Gujarat and results in many lives being savedrdquo he said adding that his NGO is requesting the government to prohibit bikers from riding on flyovers during the kiteflying seasonSatya Narayan Chaudhary joint commissioner law and order Mumbai police said ldquoAnything with a glass coating including nylon manja is deemed dangerous and hazardous leading to its prohibition Weve initiated preventive measures and will soon release specific guidelinesrdquoDec 24Day police constablersquos throat was slit