Drive against use of Calcium carbide stones
City Health Officer M. Thangaraj (right), Coimbatore Corporation's Health Committee Chairman P. Nachimuthu (left) and civic officials with the calcium carbide powder seized from a mango stall on Karuppu Gounder Street in the city on Saturday.The Coimbatore Corporation has launched a drive against the use of calcium carbide stones or powder for ripening mangoes.City Health Officer M. Thangaraj, Corporation Health Committee Chairman P. Nachimuthu and health officials from the civic body carried out on Saturday surprise checks at stalls selling mangoes in Ukkadam, as part of the drive across the city. They seized packets of the chemical kept among mangoes to ripen them.
A press release issued by the Corporation advised people to consume mangoes that ripen through the natural process. It also warned of stern action against stalls using carbide stones for a fast sale of the fruit. The normal process of ripening took three to four days while the chemical took only hours to do it.The release said the chemical was used for welding. Its presence in mangoes would cause vomiting and problems in the digestive system.
