In news–Recently, a 26-year-old businessman has died after his neck was allegedly slit by a ‘Chinese manjha’ in Delhi’s Mansarovar Park area.
What is Chinese manjha?
- Chinese manjha is a glass-coated thread used in flying kites, and is notorious for its tough, plastic-like durability.
- It is made of monofilament fishing lines.
- Monofilament strings are deadly because they are very hard to break.
- They are made by melting and mixing polymers, and after the strings are formed, they are then coated with glass.
- Stretched tight, monofilament strings have the ability to injure humans and animals alike.
- The name of the string is misleading because it is not imported from China, but is rather produced domestically.
- The string is made in and around UP’s Bareilly and in parts of Madhya Pradesh, from where it is mostly sold online.
- The manjha from Bareilly has always been considered among the best in the country.
- The main reason for the popularity of Chinese manjha, however, is the cost. It is a third of the cost of the cotton manjha and several times stronger.
- It was banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2017.
What does the rule say?
The rule in Delhi says there shall be a “complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply, import, and use of kite-flying thread made out of nylon, plastic or any other synthetic material, including popularly known as ‘Chinese manjha’, and any other kite-flying thread that is sharp or made sharp such as being laced with glass, metal or any other sharp material.”
Kite-flying is permitted only with a cotton thread, free from any sharp, metallic or glass components or adhesive thread strengthening material.
Source: The Hindu
