Hyderabad, Jan 5 : Hyderabad Police V. C. Sajjanar said on Monday that there will be zero tolerance for Chinese Manja, which is already banned in Telangana.

He said that Chinese Manja is a silent killer that has caused serious injuries and even deaths of pedestrians, two-wheeler riders, birds, and animals.

Hyderabad police have formed special teams to curb its illegal manufacture, storage, transport, and sale.

â??Any person found manufacturing or selling Chinese Manja will face strict legal action, which will be taken very seriously. If you see anyone using Chinese Manja, please stop them and create awareness about its dangers. Be a responsible citizen and inform the police about its sale. A timely intervention can prevent a tragedy. Let us celebrate the kite festival safely and humanely,â?? the Police Commissioner said in a post on â??Xâ??.

The Chinese Manja has left four motorcyclists, including a constable and a student, injured over the last week. They sustained grievous neck injuries.

A 29-year-old man was injured by the glass-coated nylon thread while riding past a theatre in Saidabad on December 30. T. Ashok was rushed to a hospital.

A day earlier, the deadly string nearly proved fatal for a food delivery executive at Shamsheergunj. The abrasive thread wrapped around Mohammed Jameelâ??s neck, causing a deep wound. Jameel was rushed to a private hospital, where he had to undergo a procedure involving 22 sutures to close the wound.

On December 26, Jashwanth Reddy, a B.Tech student, suffered severe neck injuries under the Keesara police limits while riding his bike. He, too, was admitted to the hospital.

Shivraj, a constable attached to the Langer Houz traffic station, was injured on December 25 when the synthetic string got entangled around his neck while he was riding on the Tilaknagar-Narayanguda flyover.

The recent incidents highlight how the use of Chinese Manja or nylon/synthetic thread for kite flying is continuing unabated despite the ban by authorities.

Cyberabad police have already issued a public advisory warning against the use and sale of nylon and Chinese Manja, describing it as a serious threat to human life, animals and birds.

In 2024, an Army jawan was killed after his throat was slit by a Chinese Manja in Hyderabad.

The 30-year-old died as Chinese Manja slit his throat when he was riding a scooty on Indira Reddy Flyover.

The state government had issued orders in 2016 imposing a total ban on Manja to save birds as well as for the safety of humans.

The environment, forests, science and technology department had issued orders imposing a ban on procuring, stocking, selling and use of Manja.

The forest department claimed to have taken various measures to implement the ban on the use of Manja in Kite flying during the Sankranti festival.

/IANS