23 May, 2008

Common substance...
... between Mangoes and Bombs !

bomb
Have you ever thought, what is common between a mango and a crude bomb?, Yes a MANGO and a crude BOMB (you read it right!).

You may think that I am kidding, but not, there is in fact some common elements in a bomb and a modern day mango. Shape wise, sometimes a mango may have similar look with crude bomb, which are depicted in our films and magazine. But this is not the thing I am talking about.

If I tell you that the sweet nice fruit you take with taste, may contain calcium carbide, a chemical which is also used to make crude bombs you will again think that I am joking, but no!. This has already become an 'ill-practice' in our region to fasten the ripening of mangoes.
mango
Sources say that wholesalers in India and bordering Nepalese cities are practicing it from past few years. It is said that it also helps to make the mango look more attractive by changing its color.

It is said that one Kg. of calcium carbide costs around 1 U.S. Dollar, which is enough to ripen around 200 Kgs. of mangoes, thus wholesalers and vendors and widely applying it to get fast money.

Calcium carbide, by it's nature is harmful for health, if swallowed. So next time before buying your favorite fruit just mind it!, It may contain the ingredients of a bomb.

Well! Then, how to distinguish the naturally ripen and artificially ripen mangoes?. This may not be that much easy, but let me quote one sentence from Osho, the most controversial and most misunderstood phenomena of the 21st. century. Osho had said somewhere that: the object which looks more natural than natural is bound to be fake and artificial. I leave you the rest.

5 comments:

  1. यो क्याल्सियम कार्वाइड त हिजो आज धेरै प्रयो गर्न थालिएको छ । आँपमा मात्रै कहाँ हुनु, केरा पनि पकाउन यसको प्रयोग गर्ने गरिएकोछ । गाँउघरमा पनि यसको प्रयोग व्यापक रुपमा बढिरहेको छ ।

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  2. I am afraid now!
    Will it also blast?

    I mean will the mangoes also explode?

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  3. anyway,..... जय नेपाल ! जय गणतन्त्र !! ;)

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  4. आबुइ! बम? त्यहि भएर होला बे-मौसम तरकारी र फलफूलहरु बजारमा आएको

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  5. Thank you for sharing this information Dilip dai. Some people will keep on using this calcium carbide as there doesn't exist any good mechanism to punish them. And consumers themselves are not conscious too.

    So lets say "Jay Ramjeekee!" everytime we eat mango as we are killing ourselves in installments.

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