With the price of Arhar dal rising beyond the reach of many consumers, local traders are mixing it with the cheap and low-quality Khesari pulse that was banned by the government.
The dal was banned in 1961 as it causes numbness and paralyse your body. Khesari was once used as cattle feed but its side effects were found to be so dangerous that the practice was stopped.
Experts say Khesari dal contains di-amino-pro-pionic acid which could lead to paralysis of the lower body. It could even cause numbness in limbs and spine.
But traders in Gurgaon have begun selling it to cash in on the Arhar crisis. A Mail Today investigation revealed that rampant adulteration of dal is taking place in NCR.
On November 26, Mail Today visited Khandsa Anaj Mandi, Dundahera, Mulahera, Surat Nagar, Begampur Khatola, Naurangpur, and villages surrounding IMT Maneser and found adulterated Arhar and Khesari Dal being openly sold.
Officials claimed the situation is not as bad in Delhi.
“Khesari dal has been banned since 1961 and orders and circulars are issued every year. We have so far not received any complaint regarding such adulteration in Delhi,” a senior official from department of food and safety, Delhi government, said.
Retail traders in Gurgaon said Khesari dal, which is available at Rs 40-50 a kg, is being mixed with Arhar dal and it is very difficult to separate the two because of their striking similarity. Many migrant labourers who consume it are not even aware of the harmful effects of Khesari dal.
“The department would not act until the test report comes out. We have been waiting for the test report to initiate further course of action against offenders selling Khesari or adulterated Arhar Dal in different markets of Gurgaon. Once report comes, the department will take strong action against groceries shop owners and seize such food items,” Ramesh Dhankhar, CMO of Gurgaon, was quoted by Daily Mail.
Dhankar added that he has not received any advisory or letter from any higher authority till now.
Khesari pulse contains 41% carbohydrate, 31% protein, 17% total dietary fibre, 2% fat and 2% ash. It also contains diamino pro-pionic acid which is hazardous to health.
Khesari pulse is being sold mostly in Gurgaon’s industrial belt where a large number of poor, migrant labourers stay. The Khesari crop is produced in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. It reaches Gurgaon through Delhi, Neemach and Hapur Mandi.