Ahead of the vibrant Uttarayan festival, Gujarat police have launched a stringent statewide crackdown on the production, sale, and use of banned kite strings, filing nearly 100 cases and making significant seizures, including raw material worth Rs 2.18 crore in a single Surat raid. The drive targets deadly Chinese and glass-coated 'manjha', which pose severe risks of fatal injuries to humans, birds, and animals.
Statewide Enforcement and Major Seizures
The police action follows a January 2025 directive from the Gujarat High Court, ordering strict measures against these hazardous strings. Since November, major cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Surat have seen intensified enforcement. Ahmedabad City Police alone filed 55 cases between November 18, 2025, and January 6, 2026, arresting 63 persons and seizing spools and 'firkis' of Chinese manjha worth over Rs 20.53 lakh.
In a major operation, the Surat Special Operations Group (SOG) seized kite string raw material valued at Rs 2.18 crore from a company named Angel Monofilament. Vadodara police registered 32 FIRs, arresting 32 people and confiscating items worth Rs 7.8 lakh, including 108 kg of glass powder for coating strings. Rajkot police registered 11 cases and seized banned materials.
Education and Awareness Drive
Beyond seizures, authorities are running a sustained awareness campaign. The Ahmedabad District Education Officer issued a circular for all schools to organize a pledge on January 7, where students vowed not to use dangerous strings or fly kites during peak bird activity hours. The pledge also emphasizes cleaning up string remnants post-festival and reporting injured birds.
Police are distributing free kite string guards for two-wheelers and conducting awareness programs at traffic junctions and on social media. Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar stated that manufacturers were first engaged and given time to shift from prohibited items before the enforcement drive began.
The Largest Bust and Cross-District Network
Perhaps the most significant operation was by the Ahmedabad Rural Police in December 2025, leading to a seizure worth approximately Rs 2.34 crore. The Special Operations Group busted a large-scale manufacturing and supply network spanning multiple Gujarat districts and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Starting with a seizure in Sanand, the investigation led to a factory in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where police, with local help, confiscated 43,192 reels of Chinese manjha worth Rs 1.5 crore and machinery worth Rs 50 lakh. The operation highlights the extensive, inter-district nature of the illegal trade in these deadly strings.
The crackdown reinforces the legal stance that all synthetic and glass-coated strings are prohibited, a clarification made by the HC which built upon a nationwide ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2017. As Uttarayan approaches, the combined strategy of strict enforcement and public sensitization aims to ensure the festival of kites is celebrated with joy, but also with safety and compassion for all living beings.
