As We Fly Kites This Makar Sankranti, A Small Choice Can Make Skies Safer for Birds

Every January, rooftops and open grounds across India come alive with colour as families gather to celebrate Makar Sankranti. The festival is marked by laughter and friendly kite battles.

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However, beneath this festive joy lies a troubling reality. For birds, stray animals, and even people on the streets below, the choice of kite string, or manjha, can be the difference between celebration and catastrophe.

Animal activists and bird rescue volunteers have been sounding the alarm for years: Chinese or synthetic manjha, or the nylon or glass‑coated kite strings, injure and kill birds in alarming numbers. 

It slices through feathers and wings and leaves many birds unable to fly with lasting damage. And it’s not just birds that pay the price, even kite flyers themselves sometimes end up with deep cuts or worse when these sharp strings whip across streets and injure unassuming passersby. 

Why does cotton manjha feel safer?

Traditional cotton manjha is just simple cotton thread, sometimes lightly strengthened with starch or mild paste. 

It’s softer on contact, more visible in the air, biodegradable, and far less likely to injure skin or feathers. When birds brush against cotton manjha, it usually breaks away instead of tightening like a blade. 

That gentle breakability is exactly why many rescuers and vets prefer cotton manjha, it reduces the risk that a kite string becomes a trap in the sky.

What makes Chinese manjha so dangerous

In contrast, Chinese manjha, or any synthetic thread coated with glass or metal powder, is made to be tough and razor sharp. These are great if the only goal is to cut someone else’s kite string during a flying duel. 

Unfortunately, that sharpness doesn’t discriminate. Birds don’t see these nearly invisible threads until it’s too late, and the contact can sever their wings or legs. 

Even humans can get caught off guard, as there are chilling reports of riders' faces being cut by a dangling loop of sharp string as they ride past. 

What the law says about the use of manjha

Recognising these risks, authorities have taken steps to curb the use of hazardous kite strings. 

As far back as December 14, 2016, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed an interim nationwide ban on glass‑coated manjha, warning that it poses a danger to humans, animals, and birds.

This was followed by a full NGT ban on July 11, 2017, which directed every state and Union Territory to prohibit the manufacture, sale, storage, purchase, and use of kite strings made of nylon or any non‑biodegradable synthetic material. 

Some local governments have also implemented their own rules. For example, Delhi has banned the sale and use of Chinese manjha since January 10, 2017. The penalty includes fines and even up to five years’ imprisonment for production or sale.

Still, enforcement can vary by region, and repeated news reports during each kite‑flying season show that banned strings continue to be sold or used in many places.

Where you should fly and how to stay safe

Even with the right manjha in hand, where you fly matters. Pick open fields, parks, rooftop terraces with clear surroundings, or designated kite‑flying zones to reduce the chance of strings getting snagged on trees, power lines, or dangling across busy streets. 

After you are done, take a few minutes to collect the used strings and dispose of them properly. Stray threads stuck in bushes or fences can remain hazards for days.

Let’s make kite flying joyful for everyone

Kite flying is joy, a part of our culture that brings people together and fills winter skies with colour. However, that joy shouldn’t come at the expense of birds, animals, or fellow human beings. 

This Sankranti season, let’s commit to using only the right kind of manjha, preferably cotton, flying in safe spaces, and respecting the spirit of celebration without harming others.

Sources

‘Manjha Sellers Keep It Going Despite Ban’: by The Times of India, Published on 6 August 2025.

‘Delhi govt imposes 5 yr jail, fine for production, sale of Chinese manjha’: by BS Web Team for Business Standard, Published on 02 August 2023.

‘NGT orders complete ban on nylon and glass-coated manjha’: by TNN for The Times of India, Published on 12 July 2017.

‘Green Panel Imposes Interim Nationwide Ban On Manjha For Flying Kites’: by NDTV, Published on 14 December 2016.