look news india
Mumbai: While people are forced to buy expensive onions during the festive days of Diwali, on the other hand, shocking news has come that the use of dangerous chemicals has started increasing to keep onions longer. This has posed a serious threat to people's health.
Traders from APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) of Navi Mumbai expressed concern saying that just as chemicals are used to ripen the fruit during mango season, similarly the old stalks are kept for a long time. Various chemicals are used to preserve it. People who store onions in warehouses use these chemicals to prevent onions from spoiling and then sell them when the price increases to earn more profits.
APMC traders allege that the use of BSC powder, sulfur powder and polygar powder on onions has started increasing. This is really worrying. There are big warehouses in Ahmednagar, Parner, Jamkhed where chemicals are used in storing onions. Firstly, old onions are purchased at street prices. And then kept it for a long time. When there is shortage of goods in the market, they start selling them at higher prices.
According to experts, there is a clear possibility of eating tubers containing this chemical causing respiratory problems, indigestion, diarrhoea-vomiting, skin irritation and cancer.
Onion-potato trader Manohar Tolani has appealed for immediate investigation into the use of chemicals in warehouses and punitive action against warehouse owners who use these chemicals.