Banned Chinese manja sold openly in Hyderabad and rural areas

Despite bans, Chinese manja continues to be sold openly in Hyderabad, including Dhoolpet, with traders demonstrating its sharpness on social media. The Animal Warriors Conservation Society urged authorities and online platforms to enforce strict action to protect birds and curb illegal trade

Hyderabad: The Animal Warriors Conservation Society has said rhat while the police, forest department and other departments were engaged in discussions on curbing the use of Chinese manja during the kite-flying season in the State, the sale of the banned string was continuing unabated across Hyderabad and even in rural parts of Telangana.

According to the Society founder Pradeep Nair,
a kite seller was openly selling banned Chinese manja at Balaram Galli in Dhoolpet. The trader, he alleged, has been demonstrating the effectiveness of the manja by cutting various objects in front of customers.

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The trader recorded these demonstrations as short videos and uploaded them on social media platforms, which have a huge number of followers and views. One of the videos was watched by around 42 lakh people on Instagram.

According to Nair, the trader has been selling ‘Sky Warrior’ manja, claiming that it can cut through anything. He said it was not limited to a single trader, as multiple shops in the Dhoolpet area were selling Chinese manja openly. The videos, he noted, provided ample evidence of the sale of the banned material, which was sufficient to arrest those involved.

Nair also alleged that the trader has been sending the manja to various States by accepting online bookings, which has gone unnoticed by officials.

Urging immediate intervention, Nair called upon social media and e-commerce platforms to strictly prohibit the sale of Chinese manja to protect birds. He also demanded stringent action against manufacturers, wholesale traders and retailers involved in the illegal trade.