Hyderabad forest officials have directed authorities to initiate cancellation of licences of shops selling prohibited synthetic manja, while tightening checks on supplies from other states and online marketplaces. The measures were announced at a review meeting chaired by Head of Forest Force Vinay Kumar at Aranya Bhavan on Friday to address risks to wildlife and people in the city.
Kumar asked Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials to instruct shop owners not to sell synthetic manja and to take stringent action against those violating the rules. Officials were also told to intensify surveillance of supplies arriving from Rajasthan and Gujarat, which were identified during the meeting as important sources of the material.
The directions cover both physical shops and e-commerce platforms. Police officials have been instructed to establish special surveillance to identify the sale of Chinese manja online and coordinate with relevant organisations to curb such transactions. The meeting did not specify the number of shops or online listings currently under investigation.
The forest department’s action is linked to the reported danger posed by synthetic manja to people, birds and other wildlife. Indian rollers, known locally as Palapitta, were specifically mentioned as a species requiring protection. The Head of Forest Force also directed officials to prevent Indian rollers from being kept in cages for display at Durga pandals, with Endowments department officials asked to ensure that the directions are implemented at temples.
Public awareness will form another part of the enforcement effort. Officials were instructed to put up posters at bus stations, railway stations, markets and other crowded locations to publicise the ban on synthetic manja. The School Education Department was asked to create awareness among students and parents about the dangers associated with Chinese manja.
The meeting also addressed the use of synthetic manja at Hyderabad’s kite festival. Voluntary organisations had reportedly complained about Chinese manja being used at a festival organised by the Tourism department. Kumar directed officials to ensure that synthetic manja is not permitted at this year’s event and that any material found there is confiscated immediately.
The proposed enforcement system involves several departments with different responsibilities: GHMC officials for shop-level instructions and licensing action, police for online sales surveillance, the School Education Department for awareness campaigns, the Tourism department for festival arrangements, and the Endowments department for temple-related compliance. Bus drivers and conductors were also asked to inform the Forest Department helpline if they detect illegal transportation of synthetic manja or the transport of Indian rollers and other wildlife on buses.
The directions place supply monitoring, retail enforcement, online commerce and public-event management within a coordinated response. The next steps identified at the meeting are the issuance of instructions to shop owners, surveillance of interstate supplies and e-commerce platforms, awareness campaigns at public locations and enforcement of the ban at the upcoming kite festival.
