CUTTACK: At least three persons have sustained serious injuries after getting trapped in the Chinese manja (powdered glass-coated threads) as the use of the banned kite flying string continues unabated in Cuttack city.
Two persons from Niali who were coming to the city on a motorcycle on Monday morning sustained injuries on their neck, palm and finger after a dangling glass-coated kite string curled around them on NH 16 near Balikuda. A 46-year-old city-based journalist was also injured after getting caught in Chinese manja on January 11.
Though both police as well as CMC claimed to have been carrying out strict enforcement such mishaps keep recurring in the city. In 2016, the district administration, in response to the direction issued by the Orissa High Court had imposed restrictions on the sale and use of dangerous strings and unsafe kite flying after a minor girl died in a mishap near Telengapentha.
Following the court’s direction, the administration had been identifying at least 10 safe places for flying kites in the city. But locals continue to fly kites from rooftops, roads and public places across the city. Manja threads can be seen dangling from trees, electric poles, signboards, roofs and boundary walls and even lying on the roads and streets.
CMC deputy commissioner (enforcement) Ajay Mohanty said that he was unaware of safe places being identified by the civic body for kite flying. He said the civic body’s enforcement wing is taking action against the sale and use of banned manja thread. DCP Pinak Mishra said people and shopkeepers have been made aware of the restriction. “We have intensified enforcement and stringent action will be initiated against those found selling and using banned Chinese manja”, he said.