Capital sellers unaware of high content of formalin, heavy metals in Andhra, WB imports

Fish lovers are a worried lot after wholesale traders and vendors in the national Capital continue to sell fish import from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh without tests. This is being done despite the fact that laboratory tests confirmed presence of high content of formalin and heavy metals like lead and cadmium in the consignments in Bihar faling which the State has recently banned fish sale while Jharkhand has issued alert on fish supply from these two coastal States.

Interestingly, fish vendors and wholesale traders in Ghazipur fish market and Sarojini Nagar in the national Capital appear to be ignorant about the ban on fish sale in Bihar. Traders say they have not been sounded about the formalin content found in fish from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

It is estimated that 30-40 per cent supply comes to Delhi from these two coastal States. According to an estimate, Delhi consumes 15-20 tonnes daily.

Most are brought here from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat Western UP and Odisha. And given the Capital’s distance from these States, preservation is a necessity since supplies take over a week to reach the city markets. Used for preserving fish and dead bodies, formalin is a carcinogenic substance, while heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium affect human kidneys, bones, liver, brain and reduce immunity.

Tarak Sinha, who runs a fish stall in Ghazipur, said most household consumers check the gills for indication of freshness. Fresh fish have red gills, while those that are older exhibit maroon gills.

A fish vendor at Sarojini Nagar market said despite the dangers posed by formalin, the Delhi Agriculture Marketing Board (DAMB) has not yet taken any action, unlike Bihar and Jharkhand.

Ghazipur Fish and Poultry Market chairman Nasir Alvi told The Pioneer that he was not aware about the formalin content found in the fish import from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Alvi also claimed that only small quantity of fish comes from these two coastal States and fish were tested by the sellers before being sold to retailers. “Authorities issues advisories from time to time but traders do not abide them,” Alvi added. But traders said 30-40 per cent fish comes to Delhi from Andhra and West Bengal.

When asked, Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev said panic would be created if advisory is issued. “The issue has come into my knowledge, I will take up the issue with the Health Ministry,” Dev added.

As per reports from Bihar, excess level of formalin was found in seven out of 10 fish samples sent to a central laboratory in Kolkata in October. The test report received by the department last week also found heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury in all the samples. Six out of the 10 samples were of fish from Andhra Pradesh, two each from West Bengal and local ponds and rivers.

On the other hand, rejecting the allegations that fish from Andhra contain formalin (a toxic chemical substance) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu requested his counterpart in Bihar Nitish Kumar to revoke the ban on the sale and transportation of fish from the State.

India is the third largest fish producer in the world. India’s share of global fish production is 6 per cent.