It’s Sankranti Time Again! Here Are Common Mishaps That Mar Kite-Flying Revelry, And Tips To Stay Safe

Many injuries during kite-flying season are due to the Chinese manjha, which, although banned, somehow makes it to the hands of a few kite enthusiasts.

Makar Sankranti And Kite-Flying: January 6, 2025. Jamshedpur (Jharkhand). An 8-year-old boy was admitted to the Emergency Room at Tata Main Hospital. The young child had sustained critical injuries from contact with a low-hanging high-tension wire while flying kites during a school holiday.

December 26, 2024. Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh). A 53-year-old man’s throat was slit by ‘Chinese manjha’ — a banned abrasive string used to fly kites, produced domestically — as he rode his scooter towards the Patidar Bridge. The victim had met with a similar accident on the same bridge two years ago. Administered a total of eight stitches in the emergency room, he was ruled out of danger, but was unable to speak.

The two incidents mentioned above are just a sample of the kind of accidents that are reported in the period between the Christmas holidays and January 26 in India. This season has loads of school holidays, right from Makar Sankranti to the Republic Day. The subcontinent enjoys strong windy conditions from January to June, bringing out children and adults to enjoy kite-flying for recreation and as a competitive sport. It’s also a tradition to fly kites on Sankranti.

The Chinese manjha, although banned, somehow makes it to the hands of a few kite enthusiasts, and several people — apart from tens of thousands of birds across the country — suffer accidents, often fatal, on account of it.
Last January, in Hyderabad, an army jawan, identified as K. Koteswar Reddy, died after sustaining injuries when a string of the Chinese manjha got tangled around his neck while returning from duty on a bike.

Dr Manish Mittal, consultant physician at Bhailal Amin General Hospital, Vadodara, spoke to ABP Live about the safety precautions children should be taught to take while kite-flying, and what adults can do to enjoy Makar Sankranti with joy and without incident.

ABP: When do you see maximum arrivals to the ER due to kite-flying-related accidents?
Dr Manish Mittal: Makar Sankranti is a much-loved festival in India, celebrated with joy and the vibrant sight of colourful kites filling the skies. However, amid the excitement, the festival sometimes brings unfortunate incidents like accidents and injuries. 

ABP: What are the likely accidents that cause injuries and deaths, and send many people fighting for life to hospital while flying kites?
Dr Manish Mittal: There are several types of mishaps that can occur while flying kites in populated areas:
Cuts and lacerations: Sharp strings of the kite may cut hands, fingers, faces, and even necks. Many kite strings are coated with abrasive materials, which can result in deep wounds if handled carelessly.
Electric shocks: Kites may accidentally get entangled in electrical wires, leading to severe shocks or even fatal injuries.
Falls and accidents: Excited participants, especially children, climb to the rooftops and terraces without proper precautions… which expose them to hazards of falls and injuries.
Bystander and animal hazard: Kites threaten pedestrians and motorcyclists seriously. The strings sometimes cause life-threatening injuries to persons. Birds and stray animals get entangled with the strings, causing severe harm.

ABP: What precautions do you think should be in place to avert such horrific accidents?
Dr Manish Mittal: There are several safety precautions citizens can take. Try to sensitise kite-flying adults and kids to the possibilities of accidents. Ask them to:

• Use safer strings: Use cotton or other non-abrasive strings instead of glass-powder-coated ones. These cause less harm and reduce the risk of injuries.


• Wear protective gear: Gloves or finger caps protect the hands from cuts while flying kites. Avoid over-strain.


• Do not pull the string over, which causes sudden snapping. This might cause accidents.


• Store kite strings out of the reach of children and pets. 


• Fly kites in open spaces: Try and encourage kids and, in fact, all kite-flyers to not play near unsecured rooftops; let the ground be the ideal place to play. Select spots that are not near electrical wires and other dangers.


• Avoid metallic strings: The metallic and abrasive strings increase the risk of electrocution in case one comes closer to metallic-coated strings. Let the kite strings be soft and non-harmful. 


• Check weather conditions. Kite-flying should be avoided when there is a strong wind as chances of the string touching electrical wires are higher.


• Do not leave children unsupervised while they are flying kites with other kids. Sensitise them to the possibility of likely injuries due to sharp strings, roof activities, and electrical wires.


• Teach the children that it is enough to have won the ‘pench’ after cutting a rival’s kite loose. No need to run after the cut and stray kite. Let the kites fall wherever rather than going all out to pick them up.

This Makar Sankranti season, resolve to spread cheer instead of creating risky situations. Last year, just a day after Uttarayan, a 41-year-old serving fireman at the Ahmedabad Fire Service died while trying to rescue a bat entangled in a kite string on a high-tension line. 

And this was not a stray incident. Thousands of birds and animals get injured, and many die in agony every year during this period. So widespread is the menace that the Gujarat government started a ‘Karuna Abhiyan’ in 2017 with the help of NGOs and individuals to rescue, collect, and treat injured birds and animals, and then release the ones that survive. Every year, from January 10 to 20, rescue camps are organised by the forest department, aided by veterinarians and bird-rescue experts, to treat birds injured by kite strings.

The writer is a senior independent journalist