Most glass-coated manjas manufactured in Maharashtra and Gujarat

Despite being widely known as Chinese manja the infamous kite thread that has killed and maimed scores of people is in reality manufactured right here in India Cotton manja wholesalers told midday that most glasscoated nylon kite thread is produced in Maharashtra and GujaratAn officer from the Gujarat police to midday ldquoSignificant manufacturing and supply operations take place in Nashik Nagpur Surat and Ahmedabad as well as Punjab in the lead up to Makar SankrantirdquoInstagram accounts through which glasscoated manja is flagrantly sold to buyers across IndiaNylon thread is imported from China for industrial use but unscrupulous sellers exploit the market by acquiring parts of these consignments and producing glasscoated manja on Indian soil The glasscoated nylon manja is not only cheaper but also sharper compared to cotton thread lending a deadliness to the otherwise innocuous object that has resulted in loss of life across the countryDuring Makar Sankranti the Gujarat police who register most such cases disclosed that kite sellers exploit social media to sell lethal manja Despite the packaging clearly indicating its use for industrial purposes these sellers openly market it for kite flying across IndiaSandip Shah of Reshmo Jeevdaya Trust right Mitesh Rathod trustee Karuna TrustA shopkeeper who works in a Surat market told midday ldquoThere is no such thing as Chinese manja only the nylon thread is imported from China for industrial use The term lsquoChinese manjarsquo is used due to its costeffectivenessrdquoldquoNylon Chinese manja and glasscoated manja are banned but sellers are openly distributing industrial thread that is five to six times sharper than regular manja This unbreakable thread is meant for clothing yet kite sellers brand them as premium manjardquo he addedWhat midday found outSources from the Surat police reported that last year various social media accounts popped up during Makar Sankranti to openly sell Chinese manja midday reporters exploring social media identified several such Instagram accounts including lsquoManja_kite_sellersrsquo The threadrsquos packaging explicitly states that it is not intended for kite flyingThis newspaper also found instances where industrial thread was being sold to customers in Delhi Gujarat and other states Sellers on such Instagram accounts assured potential buyers of nationwide delivery within 23 days accepting cash on delivery One such seller was traced to Jalandhar Punjabmidday discovered an Instagram account lsquoMono_kite_manjaarsquo which featured numerous photos showcasing deliveries across Maharashtra Gujarat Punjab Nashik Nagpur and Mumbai among other places The seller also prominently features their brand name Monokite on the manja boxesDangers of industrial threadIndustrial thread which is easily available in the market is used to manufacture jeans shirts pants socks garments and bags A knife or scissor is required to cut this thread which is made of nylonMitesh Rathod hon animal welfare representative Animal Welfare Board of India and trustee of Karuna Trust said ldquoNowadays people are using industrial manja which is as dangerous as Chinese manja Flying kites with it is banned but people are selling it openly on social mediardquoSandip Shah who runs Reshmo Jeevdaya Trust said ldquoIndustrial thread is dangerous and people should not use it to fly kites It injures birds and humansrdquo