OHRC asks State govt to free people from hunger

 Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Thursday asked the State government to keep people in tribal areas free from hunger and ensure that they do not eat mango kernel again.

Rights activists Pradipta Nayak and three others had moved the panel seeking direction to the State government following the death of two women and the illness of six others in Kandhamal district after consuming mango kernel gruel allegedly due to scarcity of food grains.

The commission recommends that the government take immediate remedial measures so that such an incident does not recur and see to it that all the people, particularly in tribal areas of Kandhamal district and other districts who use mango kernel, are free from hunger, and do not consume it again, the order by OHRC Chairperson Justice Satrughana Pujahari said.

The commission also asked the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare and the Health and Family Welfare secretaries and the Kandhamal District Collector, to independently submit reports to the panel before December 20, the next date of the hearing.

Meanwhile, the government’s Food Safety Laboratory, which examined the food and water samples collected from the village, found that they were contaminated by faecal matter.

“The Hydrogen Sulphide and OT test was positive for the water sample. Faecal contamination was found,” the report issued by the Food Safety Laboratory said.

The victims had consumed fermented rice and mango kernel before the incident which might have been stored or handled improperly, or contaminated and could be a possible cause for their death and illness, the report said, adding that the affected persons had complained of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loose motion.

The FSO had collected mango kernel power (moist) and it was not fit for human consumption due to foul smell, it added.

“We have received a detailed report on the food consumed by the victims. Food should be consumed immediately after being prepared. Most food is susceptible to fungal growth when left outside for an extended period.

Those who consumed the gruel on the first day had no health issues. When the same thing was consumed after two days, it had already turned toxic,” Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra told reporters.

The official said the health condition of the two women admitted to the ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack has improved after the second dialysis.

While two women, identified as Ramita Patmajhi and Runu Majhi, have died, six others were taken ill after consuming gruel made of mango kernel at Mandipanka village in Daringbadi block of Kandhamal on October 29. Two of the six were shifted to SCB Medical late on November 2 evening as their condition deteriorated.

Revenue Divisional Commissioner (South) Roopa Roshan Sahoo and Kandhamal Collector Amrit Ruturaj started a probe into the incident on Wednesday. Sahoo visited Mandipanka village and interacted with the families of the two who died and those undergoing treatment.