Fruit ripening plant coming up

 
Ethylene-based plant in vegetable market will ensure fruits are free from toxicity

Bathinda, March 5
Bathinda will get fruits free from toxicity with the setting up of an ethylene-based ripening chamber at the local vegetable market. The Punjab Mandi Board is constructing a pack house at the local vegetable market behind Government Rajindra College where the fruits will be ripened without using the toxic calcium carbide, known as "masala" amongst the fruit vendors.
The project is being set up at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore and is expected to bring health benefits not only to the consumers but to the farmers as well.
"The pack house will have eight lighting (ripening) chambers of 10 tonne capacity each and two cold rooms of 50 metric tonne capacity each," said the District Mandi Board Officer Gursewak Singh. He added that the pack house would be ready over a period of next six months.
As per a rough estimate, the per day consumption of bananas alone in the district is around 180 tonne. Currently, fruits like mango, banana, sapota and papaya are ripened using calcium carbide. The chemical is wrapped in a newspaper and kept under the fruits. On reacting with the moisture in the fruits, it starts ripening them and releases toxic gases.
Though the use of calcium carbide is banned, under Section 44-A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and many states like Delhi and Gujarat have effectively implemented the ban, the practice finds its adherents in Punjab. In Delhi and Gujarat, the use of calcium carbide also attracts punitive action.
In chambers coming up at the Bathinda vegetable market, ethylene gas will be used for ripening the fruits. It is close to ripening fruit naturally as ethylene gas has been declared safe by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Already the centre is being run in Ludhiana and has been a huge success. The fruits ripened in these chambers not only have better taste and look fresh but are also sold at a higher price in Ludhiana.
Besides being beneficial for the consumers, it will be a boon for the farmers who can store their additional produce in the cold rooms. Jagtar Singh Brar, afarmer from Goniana, said the cold stores would be used by the farmers to store their additional produce.
"The Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) runs a similar post-harvesting infrastructure of Rs 100 crore at Panipat, which is highly beneficial for the farmers. Having a similar centre at Bathinda will enable us to sell produce at far off places," he said.
Gursewak Singh said once the pack house is set up, the Mandi Board will come out with rates for the cold store as well as the ripening chambers.
It may be mentioned that eating of fruits ripened by calcium carbide can have adverse effects on human health. It can affect the functioning of the liver and kidney, cause vomiting and diarrhea. It is especially harmful for the expectant mothers.