SIRAHA, June 3: People who ate mangoes ripened by using chemicals are falling sick in Siraha. Although the time for mangoes to naturally ripen is around mid-June, mangoes ripened artificially by using chemicals hit the markets by mid-May. [break]
In Lahan hospital, 40 to 50 people come with cases of diarrhea every day. According to Dr Mishralal Shah, most of these diarrhea patients got sick by eating mangoes ripened by using chemicals. Mango traders have been found using calcium carbide, a chemical harmful to the stomach, to ripen the mangoes.
Since mango production is expected to go drastically down this year, traders are using chemicals to ripen the mangoes to meet the demands.
According to local traders, calcium carbide which ripens mangoes perfectly is used extensively in the mangoes supplied to Kathmandu as well.