Bio-diesel project proves fatal to Magarload natives

From G Manjusainath DH News Service Raipur:

The ambitious bio-diesel project of Chhattisgarh government is
proving fatal for the natives of Magarload in Dhamtari district.
After eating Ratanjot (biological name Jatropha Curcas) fruits, as
many as 16 children were taken ill. They were later hospitalised in
the nearby primary health centres and are said to be in a critical
state.

According to the reports reaching here, Ratanjot has been planted in
mass scale in many villages of Magarload development block and
children, ignoring the instruction to avoid going near to the plant,
are lured towards its sweet fruits. As the fruits of this plant are
highly purgative as well as carcinogenic, children are falling ill
in Magarload area.

Poisonous fruits

Reports said that three children, Paramanand Sahu (6), Bespal Sahu
(5) and Seema Sahu (3), of Dhipali village were admitted to the
community health centre at Magarload in a critical state. Their
parents stated that the children had gone to play on November 22,
when they ate the Ratanjot fruits and soon returned home complaining
of loose motions and vomiting. Now, their condition is reported to
be stable.

This is not the first occasion, a few days ago, at Gadadih nine
children were hospitalised after eating Ratanjot seeds and at
Amachani village four children took ill. There is no treatment for
this in any of the health centres in Chhattisgarh.

A senior official of the Chhattisgarh Bio-diesel Development
Authority requesting anonymity said there is in fact no cure for the
cases of Jatropha fruit consumption. “The only remedy is to flush
out the seed from the patient.” The officer admitted that the
Ratanjot seed can even lead to death.

The state government started the bio-diesel project in 2004 and
decided to grow eight crore plants of Ratanjot across the state.

In order to take people into confidence on the bio-diesel project,
Chief Minister Raman Singh is using 100 per cent bio-diesel,
extracted from Ratanjot, in his vehicle since August 2004.

The government has planned to begin commercial production of bio-
diesel from 2008, when the saplings sown in various parts of the
state will start bearing fruits. This project is drawing flak from
various agricultural scientists and botanists.

A noted botanist Pankaj Oudhia alleged that this plant is
carcinogenic and of foreign origin, yet the government is planting
it at mass scale without considering the consequences. “The
incidents that has occurred in Magarload is just a beginning. More
dangerous consequences of such mass scale plantation of Ratanjot are
still in store,” he said.

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