FARIDKOT: The sweets served at a gurdwara, consumption of which had led to the death of a granthi and over 100 more falling ill in Jaitu town of Faridkot, have been found to be containing highly toxic insecticides.
The samples were sent to Punjab State Laboratory in Chandigarh for testing. Langar had been served after the bhog of an Akhand Path organized by Gurmail Singh, a panchayat member of Kothe Santa Singh Wala village of Jaitu.
"Clinical examination of the jalebis and other eatables, including puris, revealed that all food items contained organophosphorus, which is a dangerous insecticide," said Faridkot civil surgeon Dr Gurmail Singh Chahal. After consuming jalebis, people had complained of nausea and giddiness and some fell unconscious. Subsequently, food and supplies department had collected samples of all eatables cooked at the house of Gurmail Singh.
The department had also sealed the provision store where the panchayat member purchased flour and other ingredients.
"Health department has sent the clinical laboratory's report to Faridkot SSP for further action. We also want police's help in tracing how these highly-poisonous insecticides became part of the eatables," said Dr Chahal.
Umendra Dutt, executive director of Kheti Virasat Mission, Punjab, a voluntary organization working against use of pesticides and insecticides in state's agriculture, said not only organophosphorus, but other dangerous poisons, which were banned by developed countries a decade back, were also being used rampantly for growing crops.
Aluminium phosphide (Celphos), a highly poisonous compound, is commonly used to preserve wheat grain in Punjab. "The salt is available in tablet and pellet form from almost all provision and pesticide shops in Punjab," said Dutt.
But the health department and agriculture department swing into action only when a tragedy happens, he added.
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