Ahmedabad: With kite-flying enthusiasm building ahead of the two-day Uttarayan celebrations on January 14 and 15, Gujarat Police have intensified their crackdown on banned kite strings, including Chinese and glass-coated manjha.

Alongside enforcement, police have also launched a sustained awareness drive urging two-wheeler riders to install protective kite-string guards to prevent serious or fatal injuries caused by barely visible loose strings. Since November, nearly 100 cases have been registered across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat as part of the drive.

In Ahmedabad, traders arrested for selling prohibited strings revealed that one Viren Patel of Vapi had allegedly supplied nearly 90 consignments across the state. Acting on this input, Ahmedabad Rural Police, with assistance from Silvassa Police, raided a factory linked to Patel around two weeks ago and seized 43,192 reels of nylon manjha. Patel has since gone absconding, prompting a statewide alert.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said that while no deaths linked to Chinese manjha have been reported in the city this season, the threat remains severe, particularly for two-wheeler riders and migratory birds. Since December 18, 2025, Ahmedabad city police have registered 55 cases, arrested 63 accused and seized banned strings worth ₹20.53 lakh. Ahmedabad Rural Police have made additional seizures worth ₹1.94 crore across multiple districts.

Ahmedabad Rural SP Om Prakash Jat said special teams have been formed to dismantle the entire supply chain involved in the manufacture, storage and sale of banned manjha. Bird rescue activists said more than 2,000 birds are injured or killed every year due to the deadly string, urging citizens to avoid its use and celebrate the festival responsibly.

Meanwhile, the city’s District Education Officer has issued a circular directing schools to organise pledge-taking programmes against the use and storage of Chinese strings and paper lanterns, while also spreading awareness among students and parents about safety measures and legal provisions.

In Vadodara, police lodged 32 FIRs between December 20, 2025 and January 4, 2026, arresting 32 accused and seizing banned kite-related items worth ₹7.8 lakh, including glass powder used for coating strings.

In Surat, the Special Operations Group seized raw materials worth ₹2.18 crore in a single raid at a manufacturing unit. City police also booked additional cases and arrested several persons, seizing banned materials worth over ₹1 lakh.

Rajkot City Police registered 11 cases across eight police stations, seized banned manjha and conducted multiple awareness programmes with traders, urging them to refrain from storing or selling prohibited items. DeshGujarat