Banned Manja claims life of a man in Telangana

Hyderabad, Jan 15: The dreaded manja thread used for kite-flying claimed the life of a man in Telangana's Mancherial district on Saturday.

The manja thread cut the throat of the man who was riding a motorcycle with his wife riding pillion.

A profusely bleeding Bheemaiah died on the spot.

Tragedy struck the couple on Mancherial highway during Sankranti festival. Manja thread got wrapped around Bheemaiah's neck, cutting his throat. The couple fell from the bike. Bheemaiah died on the spot while his wife sustained injuries.

On receiving the information, police rushed to the spot and shifted the body for autopsy. Police registered a case and took up investigation.

The incident highlights how use of manja or nylon/synthetic thread for kite flying is continuing unabated despite the ban by authorities.

The forest department claimed to have taken various measures to implement the ban on use of manja in Kite flying during Sankranti festival.

The department constituted mobile squads to check sale and purchase of manja also called Chinese manja.

The department is mainly focusing on twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and surroundings where many people, especially youngsters take to kite flying during Sankranti festival.

Similar mobile parties have been formed in the districts by the concerned district forest officers to implement the ban orders.

The state government had issued orders in 2016 imposing total ban on manja to save birds as well as for the safety of humans.

The environment, forests, science and technology department had issued orders imposing a ban on procuring, stocking, sale and use of manja.

The action was taken as use of manja is causing grievous injury to human beings and birds and causing problems for transmission lines and other communication devices and traffic movement. Such material is also causing adverse effects on soil, waterways due to its non biodegradable.

The National Green Tribunal on July 11, 2017, imposed a total ban on use of nylon/ synthetic thread in kite flying during Sankranti all over the country.