THE government has decided to amend the Carbide Rules-2003 with provisions for stopping unauthorized supply of chemical to private users to check its misuse in ripening fruits. Use of chemicals in ripening and preserving fruits has been decried in the recent past as it is seriously harmful to human health. The proposed amendment is definitely a laudable move to discourage artificially ripen fruits and encourage organic fruits in the market. Using carbide in fruits processing is a common practice resorted to by orchard owners and traders, ignoring vigilance of law enforcers through the marketing chain. It is commonly known now that from flowering to harvesting, orchard owners use four to five types of chemicals, including insecticides, growth hormone and ripening hormone that turns the delicious fruits into venom. Now that a good move is in the process, it is advisable that amending the rules only should not satisfy the government, it should also ensure chemical free fruits supply to every market throughout the country.
A national daily reported on Monday that an inter-ministerial meeting has decided to repeal some provision of the Carbide Rule that now allows a person to carry four kilograms of the substance at a time within the country. The meeting has also decided to limit the quantity and include a rule stipulating that a license holder might be sentenced for six months to one year, besides cancellation of the license for supplying carbide to anyone illegally. Calcium carbide is used to make acetylene gas that produces high temperature and used in iron and steel industry and manufacturing plastic products. But dishonest businessmen use it on immature fruits for quick ripening. The chemical contained arsenic and such other elements; which are highly toxic to human and may cause neurological, gastrological and cancerous diseases.
For the last two years, the law enforcement agencies are active to block toxic fruits entering the capital city, but ordinary people are not tension free either as its use at wholesalers and retailers level to preserve mangoes, litchis, and other appetizing fruits is going almost unabated. Traders also use formalin to give fruits fresh-look. It is widely known that traders use chemicals and formalins for stop rot in fruits and vegetables.
It is advisable that the government should not only limit and stop unauthorized sale of chemicals to stop its misuse in fruits, it should also block entering adulterated fruits into market and therefore keep vigils on roads and highways. Moreover, there should be effective public awareness campaigns to discourage its use. People are already much concerned on the adverse impact of the use of chemicals on fruits and vegetable. Now more suitable rules and vigilance may prove more effective to reduce the menace to public life. Business firms may also build more cold storages to discourage the use of chemicals as preservative against rot.
