Parliament Question: Illegal Sale and use of Chinese Manjha

OIH 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 kite- flying 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 non- biodegradable 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.

*****