Hyderabad: December 31, Posted on 5:03PM IST
Despite a statewide ban, Chinese manja continues to pose a deadly threat in Hyderabad and surrounding areas, with four serious throat-injury incidents reported within a single week, raising concerns over enforcement ahead of the Sankranti festival.
The latest incident occurred in Dilsukhnagar, where a young man identified as Ashok suffered a deep throat injury after a Chinese manja string became entangled around his neck while he was riding his motorcycle near Shivranga Theatre en route to Saroornagar. Alert locals rushed him to Kamala Hospital, where doctors confirmed that his condition is stable after primary treatment.
On December 29, another youth, Jameel from Nawab Saheb Kunta, was critically injured in the Shamsheer Gunj area when a glass-coated nylon kite string slashed his neck while he was riding a bike. He required 22 stitches and remains under close medical observation.
In a separate incident, 19-year-old BTech student Yashwanth was critically injured in Keesara mandal when a broken kite string wrapped tightly around his neck. He was immediately shifted to hospital, and his parents urged authorities to take strict action against shops allegedly selling banned kite strings.
Adding to the alarming pattern, another BTech student sustained severe throat injuries on December 26 in Medchal district’s Keerthi Mallikarjuna Nagar, taking the total number of such incidents to four within a week.
Past records show even grimmer outcomes. A biker earlier died on Malkajgiri Road due to excessive bleeding after Chinese manja cut his throat and hand. In October 2023, two bikers were injured in Kukatpally, including one eye injury, while more than ten similar incidents were reported on Uppal Road in 2024.
Chinese manja—plastic wire coated with glass powder—is extremely sharp and dangerous. Although banned by the Telangana government, illegal transport and sale continue, particularly during festive kite-flying seasons.
Police have reiterated that strict action will be taken against violators and appealed to the public to immediately report any illegal sale of Chinese manja to prevent further injuries and loss of life. Several citizens have also complained that, despite the ban, Chinese manja is being sold through social media platforms in the city, a practice they said must be urgently stopped through effective monitoring and enforcement.
Mohammed Naseer Giyas is a multi-media and bilingual journalist with over 20 years of experience across print, digital, and television media. Founder of Raftaar-e-Deccan, he is an alumnus of IVLP, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and ICFJ, and has worked with leading English and Urdu news organisations.
