Kolkata Chinese manja injured a 30-year-old pillion rider on Narkeldanga Main Road on Sunday, prompting police to intensify drone surveillance, patrols and raids against sellers of banned kite strings across the city.
Shubhankar Basu was travelling from Salt Lake to Sealdah on an app-based motorcycle when the stray string reportedly cut his neck. The motorcycle rider was not injured. Basu was first taken to Sealdah ESI Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Salt Lake, where his condition was reported to be stable. Doctors may need to perform surgery, according to the report.
The incident has renewed attention on the risks posed by plastic and glass-coated kite strings around busy roads, flyovers and other elevated transport corridors. Police have identified stretches near Maa Flyover, AJC Bose Road Flyover and Vidyasagar Setu for heightened monitoring and enforcement.
Drone surveillance has been introduced on vulnerable stretches, with control rooms at Lalbazar and in the Southeast Division monitoring live footage. The police are also increasing patrols on flyovers to identify and remove loose kite strings quickly before they can injure motorists, pillion riders or pedestrians.
Alongside roadside patrols, teams are conducting raids against illegal sellers in the Topsia, Beniapukur, Port and Eastern Suburban divisions. The enforcement action is focused on sellers dealing in plastic and glass-coated strings, which can remain suspended across roadways or become difficult to see against the urban background.
The injury highlights a recurring enforcement challenge in dense cities: the hazard may originate away from the road, but its consequences appear on transport infrastructure used by thousands of people. Flyovers and arterial roads offer no safe margin for a rider who encounters a nearly invisible string at speed, making early detection and removal central to prevention.
Police have said that safety measures and raids will continue in vulnerable areas during the festive season. The ongoing response includes drone monitoring, live control-room oversight, seller raids and increased patrols on the identified flyovers.
