‘I lost 7-8 litres of blood after manja cut my neck’

Sandeep Singh

A day before Makar Sankranti, mid-day spoke to a number of people who have been injured by the manja during the festival in previous years and some NGOs, who claim that the Chinese manja should be banned and police should take strict action against those selling it. The Chinese manja primarily comes from Surat in Gujarat and is coated with adhesive and finely crushed glass or metal to make it sharp.

Ahead of Makar Sankranti

Forty-two-year-old Sandeep Singh, a resident of Laljipada at Kandivli West has decided to not move out on Makar Sankranti this year as he had received grievous injuries from the Chinese manja in 2013. Speaking to mid-day, he said, "On the day of the festival in 2013 I was going to meet a friend in Dindoshi on my bike when a Chinese manja got entangled around my neck. I stopped my bike but the other end of the manja was stuck in another vehicle. The manja cut my neck up to 18 centimetres. I received more than 20 stitches. I was rushed to a local hospital where they refused to conduct a surgery. Later some locals rushed me to Sanjeevani hospital in Malad East. The manja was stuck in my neck and I survived only after a three-hour-long surgery. After a week I was discharged from hospital but it took me three months to recover. I was not able to speak properly and faced difficulties in eating as well." "In that incident I lost around 7-8 litres of blood. This time I have even advised my children to not fly kites near the highway or any busy road."

Kids fly kites in Shantaram Pada, Malad. Pics/Satej Shinde

‘Manja got stuck in neck'
Another victim Harsh Chandrakant Cheda, who is a resident of Madhuban society at Vile Parle East, had met with a similar accident in 2015. On the day of the festival while he was going to his tuition classes on his cycle, a Chinese manja got stuck in his neck. Rickshaw driver Manoj Saha rushed him to Nanavati hospital where doctors saved his life. A relative of Harsh said, "Harsh is fit and fine now and he has recovered from the injuries. We advise people not to fly kites as it's hazardous for people and birds as well."

Twelve-year-old Mukesh Suraj Patel, who was a resident of Bhavani Nagar in Bhandup East, died in 2013 while he was flying a kite and it got stuck in overhead wires. He got electrocuted and died due to the 90 per cent burns he had received.

Speaking to mid-day, a relative of Mukesh said, "Mukesh had the habit of flying kites every year during Makar Sankranti. During the festival in 2013, he had gone to the Tata Power plant located at Bhandup West to fly kites. That is when his kite got stuck in the overhead wires and he got electrocuted. Local people rushed him to hospital. He had received 90 per cent burns. After being kept on a ventilator for two days, he passed away."

WR on high alert
Meanwhile, the Western Railway has issued an advisory saying that people should not fly kites near railway tracks due to the high-voltage overhead wires. The notification has been issued for the Churchgate-Virar, Virar-Surat and Udhna-Jalgaon sections of the Mumbai Division. Speaking to mid-day, Western Railway Chief Public Relation Officer Sumit Thakur said, "The Chinese manja has metal in it, hence it leads to quick transmission of current. Such incidents might affect rail movement and lead to loss of lives as well. People are requested to avoid flying kites near railway tracks."

‘Many birds rescued every yr'
Several NGOs in Mumbai have claimed that Chinese manja continues to be sold in the city, which is not only leading to deaths among humans but birds too. Last year the Virar police had registered five cases related to sale of Chinese manja. Virar-based Karuna Trust president Mitesh Jain said, "Every year we rescue over 1,000 birds in Virar and other areas. Even after the festival is over we get about 30-40 calls regarding death of birds."

Jimit Shah, who runs the Samkit Yuvak Mandal in Borivli said, "Every year we rescue more than 3,000-4,000 birds including pigeons, crows and owls. We also circulate posters on social media asking people not to fly kites and sell Chinese manja but it continues to happen. The Chinese manja should be banned."

1,000
Approx no. of birds rescued by a Virar NGO every year