Nature & Wildlife

Manja Ban in Tamil Nadu: The Law, Chennai Injuries and Birds

Synthetic and glass-coated manja is banned across Tamil Nadu. What the law says, the Chennai injuries behind it, and how to help a bird caught in thread.

25 October 2026

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Making, selling, storing, buying or using kite string made of nylon, plastic or other synthetic material is banned across Tamil Nadu. That includes manja thread coated with non-biodegradable synthetic substances. The state’s order was issued on 6 October 2023 and published in the Government Gazette on 30 October 2023, according to a government press release. Violations are punishable under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The ban exists because manja cuts. In Chennai it has slit the throats of riders on flyovers and killed at least one child, and it traps birds in trees across the city. Here is what the law says, who enforces it, and what to do if you find a bird tangled in thread.

What is banned, and by whom

The rules come in three layers:

National: On 11 July 2017 the National Green Tribunal, in a bench headed by its chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed every state to prohibit the manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use of nylon and synthetic manja. The ban covered Chinese manja and also cotton thread coated with glass, PTI reported. The petitioners included PETA and Khalid Ashraf.
State: Tamil Nadu’s 2023 order turned that into a statewide ban under the Environment (Protection) Act.
City: Chennai police have issued prohibitory orders against manja kite flying since 2015, and the Commissioner issued an order under the Criminal Procedure Code in March 2020, News Today reported.

The state order names who can act: District Collectors, Forest Range Officers and above, police Sub-Inspectors and above, and Commissioners of corporations, municipalities and other local bodies. In practice, most action in Chennai comes from the local police station.

Why the ban: the human toll in Chennai

The 2023 order cites injuries and deaths to people, animals and especially birds, plus drains and water bodies clogged by thread that never rots. Chennai’s record includes:

September 2015: a five-year-old boy, Ajay, died after manja slit his throat while minors flew kites nearby. Police seized 330 bundles of manja and a rolling machine from a shop on Konnur High Road, Otteri, and charged the sellers with culpable homicide, The News Minute reported.
August 2020: three people were injured in two days on GNT Road, Ennore Express Road and near Tiruvottiyur. Police arrested 150 kite flyers and seized more than 200 kites, The News Minute reported. Earlier that year the city police had warned that manja users could face the Goondas Act.
May 2023: a 22-year-old rider’s face was cut at a Saidapet signal. Two young men were arrested and remanded, DT Next reported.
January 2025: a woman constable riding to work was cut on the neck on a flyover in Aminjikarai. Four minor boys were detained and released after an undertaking, DT Next reported.

Flyovers are the worst spots because loose thread hangs across them at neck height for riders. North Chennai localities such as Washermenpet, Royapuram, Tiruvottiyur and Ennore recur in police raids.

The toll on birds

Birds do not show up in police counts, but they are the most frequent victims. Thread snagged in trees and on wires stays there for months. Crows, black kites, pigeons, owls and egrets fly into it, and the line wraps their wings or feet. In May 2026 a watchman on Dr Ranga Road, Mylapore, freed a crow that fell onto a car bonnet wrapped in manja, Mylapore Times reported.

If you find a tangled bird

Cover the bird gently with a towel. Darkness calms it.
Hold the body firmly but loosely, and keep the wings folded against it.
Cut the thread with small scissors, working away from the skin. Do not pull, because the thread can slice deeper.
If the thread has cut into flesh, a wing droops or the bird cannot fly, put it in a ventilated box and call the Forest Department helpline, 1800 425 4409, or an animal welfare group.
If a bird is stuck high on a tree or wire, call the fire service on 101 rather than climbing.

Remove any loose thread you find on your terrace or in trees and bin it cut into short pieces.

What residents can do

Use plain cotton thread with no glass or metal coating. Anything with synthetic coating or glass is banned.
Report shops selling manja to the local police station. Note the shop name and address.
Riders on flyovers in kite season can wear a scarf or a neck guard and keep the visor down.

Quick answers

Is kite flying banned in Chennai?

No. Flying with plain cotton thread is allowed. Nylon, synthetic and glass-coated manja is banned.

Under which law is manja banned in Tamil Nadu?

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, through the state order gazetted on 30 October 2023.

Who can act against manja sellers?

Police Sub-Inspectors and above, Forest Range Officers, District Collectors and local body Commissioners.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.