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After Bihar, Jharkhand may ban toxic Andhra fish
The preservative formalin present in Andhra fish can damage kidney, liver, lung and heart, and cause cancer and other diseases, said doctors.
After the Bihar government banned formalin-laced fish from Andhra Pradesh on October 1, the Jharkhand is likely to take a similar step. It is collecting fish samples which will be sent to a laboratory in either Kerala or West Bengal. Should the results show formalin in fish, the state will bar the import from the southern state.
The preservative formalin can damage kidney, liver, lung and heart, and cause cancer and other diseases, said doctors.
Joint commissioner (food), health department, Chandrakishore Oraon said the samples of fish brought from Andhra Pradesh were being collected for tests.
“The lab in Ranchi’s Namkum does not have the wherewithal to check the presence of formalin in fish, so samples will be sent to either a laboratory in Kolkata or the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi,” said Oraon.
As the transport of fish from Andra Pradesh takes three to four days to different districts of Jharkhand , traders use formalin to keep the quality intact.
Jharkhand consumes 2.15 metric tonnes of fish a year, of which 1.90 metric tonnes is produced in the state. To meet the supply-demand gap, it relies of Andhra Pradesh
According to officials, 110-120 tonnes of fish is brought in Jharkhand from Andhra Pradesh daily. While Dhanbad and other districts of Santhal Pargana division receive 30-40 tonnes daily, Ranchi get 20-30 tonnes, from where it is further supplied to Palamu division. Jamshedpur consumes 30-40 tonnes of Andhdra fish, from where it is supplied to Kolhan region.
The Bihar government recently banned Andhra Pradesh fish after the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi confirmed the use of formalin.
“Formalin is highly toxic chemical that is injurious for human body. Sustained consumption of the chemical can causes complications associated with asthma, cancer, bronchitis, pneumonia, blindness, gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidney, lung, and heart,” said Dr NK Singh, chairman of Research Society of Diabetes of India (RSDI), Jharkhand chapter.
Senior official of state fisheries department on Friday said that for awareness of people from toxic fish a test kit at ₹2.5 is available and would help in tracing formalin chemical.
