Walayar residents fear pollution, water depletion
Resentment is brewing among the residents of the border village of Walayar in Palakkad district against an attempt by the Food Safety Department (FSD) to wash and clean about 60 lakh kg of seized adulterated pepper, which presently commands a market price of Rs.384 crore, using the facilities of a private factory located close to the Coimbatore border.
People fear the cleaning process using heavy doses of detergent and huge amounts of water would pollute their surroundings apart from exploiting the region’s already depleting water resources.
“The whole process seems unscientific as the chances of bringing back the original character of the seized pepper through washing and cleaning using detergents remain very low. Experts have recommended safe disposing of the adulterated pepper. The then head of the FSD Biju Prabhakar himself recommended the disposal of the stock,” P.S. Panicker of voluntary organisation Janajagratha says.
According to department officials, the pepper coated with cancer-causing mineral oils such as liquid paraffin and burnt diesel oil was seized from six warehouses in Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts two years ago.
“Walayar is facing acute drinking water scarcity now. In spite of the grim situation, the pepper stock will be taken here next week for washing and cleaning using detergents. We fear both pollution and exploitation of our remaining ground water resources,” Ravikumar of Walayar Action Council Against Polluting Factories says.
He says earlier tests have found the pepper stock as carcinogenic. The seized pepper is over five years old and the sole intention behind using mineral oil was to ensure its longevity so as to sell it later at a higher price when demand went up, he says.
The procuring price that time was Rs.60 per kg and now the price has touched Rs.1,000 per kg.
Mineral oil lends more weight and a dark black colour to pepper, it is said. “The pepper will be brighter and it will have a longer shelf life if mineral oil is used. But the process will have severe health impacts,” says M.A. Pushparaj, The pepper will reach the private factory within a week.
60 lakh kg of adulterated pepper seized 5 years ago
It now commands a market price of Rs.384 crore
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