Lok Sabha Question No. 1511 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Illegal Sale and use of Chinese Manjha
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1511

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Illegal Sale and use of Chinese Manjha

## 1511. SHRI BABU SINGH KUSHWAHA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  in  January  2026,  during  the  festival  of  Makar Sankranti, a 28-year-old doctor, Dr. Sameer Hashmi, died in Jaunpur after his throat was slit by Chinese kite string (Chinese manjha), which was the second such death in the district within a month;
- (b) the reasons for despite the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2017, even through a total of three deaths and more than 100 serious injuries have been reported in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government/State Government to impose restrictions on the sale of kite  string  during  festival,  including  market  inspections,  raids,  seizures  and  awareness campaigns; and
- (d) the coordination mechanism put in place between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Home Affairs to prevent such deaths in future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a)  to  (d): More  than  19  States/  UTs  have  issued  prohibitory  orders  under  Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Indian Penal Code, etc to ban manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of Chinese manjha/ nylon/glass coated/synthetic thread for kite flying, including Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. 6  States/UTs  have  informed  that  they  have  no  manufacturing  industries/units  of  chinese manjha/nylon thread in respective States/UTs.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) vide letter dated 23.02.2023 has  requested  the  Chief  Secretaries  of  the  States/UTs,  to  take  appropriate  measures  and  issue prohibitory orders for banning the manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of Chinese manjha/ nylon/synthetic/  glass-coated  thread  for  kite  flying.  Further,  MoEF&CC  vide  letter  dated 23.02.2023  has  also  requested  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  to  take  appropriate measures and issue prohibitory orders in this regard.

Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB),  vide  letter  dated  27.03.2023,  issued  the  following directions to all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) under Section l8 (1) (b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention  and Control of  Pollution)  Act,  1981  to  ensure  strict  enforcement  of ban  of use  of Chinese Manjha and to prevent violation by manufacturers:

- i. to  prohibit  the  manufacture,  sale,  storage,  purchase  and  use  of  Chinese  Manjha/nylon/ synthetic material/ glass coated thread used for kite flying;
- ii. to ensure that existing units with valid Consent to Operate (CTO) shall not manufacture or produce Chinese Manjha/nylon/synthetic/glass-coated thread for kite flying;
- iii. to ensure submission of Annual Self-declaration statement by "Synthetic fibre including rayon, tyre cord, polyester filament yarn" manufacturing units that they are supplying their product  only  to  valid  users  and  not  to  any  entity  involved  in  manufacturing  Chinese manjha/nylon/ synthetic material/ glass coated thread for kite flying; and
- iv. to give wide publicity about ban on manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of Chinese Manjha/nylon/ synthetic material/ glass coated thread used for kite flying through local newspaper/media etc.

The  Environment,  Forests,  Science  &  Technology  (EFS&T)  Department,  Government  of Telangana vide Government Orders dated 17.01.2018 and 13.01.2016, put a complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply and use of nylon, plastic and Chinese Manjha and any other kiteflying thread that is sharp or made sharp such as by laced with glass, metal or other sharp objects in  the  State  of  Telangana.  In  the  State  of  Telangana,  there  are  no  manufacturing  units manufacturing synthetic manjha/nylon threads. Telangana State Pollution Control Board issued communication on 04.01.2025 to all District Collectors to take action against the units involved in sale, storage and usage of synthetic manjha/nylon thread.

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board vide their letter dated 28.05.2020 informed that there are no  units  manufacturing  thread  made  of  nylon,  synthetic  material  and/or  coated  with  synthetic substances that is non-biodegradable for kite flying.

The  Environment, Forest  and  Climate  Change  Department,  Govt.  of  Uttar  Pradesh  has  issued directions  under  section-5  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  on  01.05.2017  to  all concerned Govt. Authorities for prohibition of manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of thread made of nylon, synthetic material and/or coated with synthetic substances which is nonbiodegradable  for  kite  flying.  Meeting  was  conducted  on  30.01.2026  by  Principal  Secretary, Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  Department,  Govt.  of  Uttar  Pradesh  with  Home Department, Govt, of Uttar Pradesh, all the District Magistrates and Senior Superintendent Police/ Superintendent  Police,  Uttar  Pradesh.  Accordingly,  directions  have  been  issued  to  all  District Magistrates and Police officials to conduct awareness programmes, seizures, raids and inspections of shops. Home Department, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh., has issued directions to Police and all District Magistrates  to  comply  with  the  ban  imposed  by  the  Govt.  of  Uttar  Pradesh  vide  letter  dated 01.05.2017.

As  reported  by  State  Govt.  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  one  person  named  Dr.  Sameer  Hashmi  died  on 14.01.2026 after he cut his throat by kite manjha/thread. In District Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, it has been  informed  that  a  Special  Drive  was  conducted  to  enforce  the  ban  on  sale  of  chinese manjha/synthetic thread.  During Special Drive, 51 prosecution cases have been registered under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 60 persons were arrested and 308 kg of Chinese manjha was confiscated during December 2025 to January 2026. Drone surveillance was also carried out and action has been taken against persons who used Chinese manjha for kite flying. Awareness through public address systems, has been conducted to inform citizens to take safety measures during motorcycle driving.

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