Thread by @IndianExpress

#THREAD: In the run-up to #MakarSankranti those involved in the making and selling of colourful kites and manja in Hyderabad were excited to start afresh.

But this time, ‘patangula panduga’ has not turned out the way the traders wanted. | @rahulvpisharody indianexpress.com/article/cities…

Mohanlal has been selling kites since he was 10. Now 75, he says COVID-19 pandemic, months-long lockdown, and the lack of sufficient modes of inter-state transport have added to a shortage of kites in the market and pushed the prices up.

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Craftsmen usually start making kites meant for sale during Sankranti soon after the end of the previous year’s festival making it a round-the-year activity. In 2020, craftsmen started making kites only in June after the lockdown was eased.

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While demand for kites is still high, as people cherish flying kites from their terraces and rooftops, paper kites are short in supply and the market is flooded with colourful plastic kites which are non-biodegradable.

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“This time, because of COVID-19 lockdown, we didn’t get enough bamboo sticks. We made fewer paper kites and all are sold out... Due to lack of supply, the rates are higher now."

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A retailer near Mangalhat says the local market is overflowing with plastic kites from Bareilly, Delhi, Kanpur, Agra, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur, etc. “The sale is not bad this year, but those who used to purchase for Rs 1,000 are buying stuff worth Rs 600."
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Pointing at a kite printed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo, he says the demand for plastic kites is also due to the colourful cartoons and photographic images printed on them. A good number of them are also imprinted with awareness on COVID-19.

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Agreeing that plastic kites are more this year, Manoj too says these kites should be banned as they are non-biodegradable. His shop, nearly 100-years-old, is known for its quality of kites, each of which is personally checked by 48-year-old Manoj himself.

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“We sell paper kites to only top traditional families and they continue to buy in large numbers. This is because of the quality and reputation of our family. Those who have grown up with our paper kites can tell the difference when they fly plastic.”

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Banned nylon manja is also still in demand. “These synthetic threads have been in the market for the last 20 years. Everyone knew these were not only non-biodegradable but also dangerous for birds, animals and human beings alike."

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