LUCKNOW, Feb. 16 -- Police action against banned Chinese manjha appears to be yielding results across several parts of the city, with many traders refusing to stock or sell the hazardous synthetic thread following recent raids and warnings. However, a spot check by HT has found that despite visible impact in most markets, covert sale continues in pockets such as Golaganj. In Chowk and adjoining lanes, traditionally known for kite trade, shopkeepers declined outright when asked about Chinese manjha. Even when offered higher prices, none agreed to sell, citing strict police checks and fear of legal consequences. In Daliganj, a trader displayed a flex banner carrying a police notification along with a message from the 'Lucknow Patang Vikreta Association', urging customers not to purchase life threatening threads. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the association had recently directed members to abstain from selling banned material. He denied stocking synthetic manjha and pointed to CCTV cameras installed inside his shop. Smaller traders near Bulandbagh maintained that only white cotton thread remained available. At Sarvodaya Nagar, shopkeepers claimed they were cautious after recent enforcement drives. The stepped-up enforcement follows a series of injuries in the past 12 days and the death of 33-year-old medical representative Mohammad Shoaib, whose neck was slit by illegal manjha while commuting in Bazarkhala. Several others have sustained serious face and neck injuries. Senior police officials have since launched a citywide drive to seize banned thread and identify sellers. Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Babloo Kumar said the drive is on and cops, right from police station to outpost levels, are conducting checks from time to time. If such banned manjha is still being sold, strict action would be taken, he said. While overt sales appear to have reduced in several markets, a visit to Golaganj revealed that the banned thread remains available discreetly. Posing as a bulk buyer, the correspondent visited a retailer-cum-wholesaler shop where black synthetic thread, described by the seller as capable of 'cutting hands', was available in large quantities. The shopkeeper and his helper offered bulk supply and suggested sharing order details over WhatsApp. "You will have to take it secretly. This thread is under police surveillance," the helper said. During the visit, another customer arrived seeking black manjha. The thread was packed in a non-transparent bag and sold for Rs.2,500 per large spool, with a wholesale rate of Rs.2,300 quoted. The spool size indicated organised bulk trade rather than stray leftover stock. Inside the shop, several bundles of hard, plastic-coated threads were stacked on racks. When questioned, the shopkeeper admitted these were the threads under police scrutiny and said they were being sold discreetly despite the crackdown. Alam Khan, a kite-maker operating in the narrow lanes near Chowk, claimed that the lethal threads are not manufactured locally but sourced largely from Bareilly. "If authorities want to stop these incidents, they must act against the makers," he said. The economics of the seasonal trade further explain its persistence. Medium-sized kites purchased in bulk at Rs.6 retail at Rs.12, while larger kites costing Rs.12 wholesale sell for Rs.20....