The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday demanded to know as to why there has been a delay in releasing an inquiry report on the incidence of sudden hair loss among thousands of people in three tehsils of Buldhana district in Vidarbha region.

“Thousands of people in three talukas of Buldhana district have been suffering from severe hair loss, with cases of baldness increasing. What is causing this? While an investigation is needed, three months have passed, and the state government has yet to release a report on the reasons behind the hair loss and baldness. The government has been evasive in its approach,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshvardhan Sapkal said.

“What happened to the inquiry report on hair loss in Buldhana district? Why is the state government suppressing the matter,” Sakpal asked.

Talking to media persons here, Sapkal said that in mid-December, cases of severe hair loss and baldness emerged across 19 villages in three talukas of Buldhana district. “Despite this, the state government has not provided any scientific explanation. Instead, the government now claims that people’s hair is growing back, raising the question: should we ask the government what oil they used? Instead of answering why hair loss occurred, they are avoiding the issue,” he said. “The affected region falls under a saline belt, and after complaints, the state government conducted an investigation. However, they claim the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) report is still pending.  Why is the state government not following up with the ICMR on the issue? Or is the government either trying to suppress or manipulate the report,” Sapkal wondered.

Sakpal said that this was not a political issue but a serious public health crisis. “There seems to be a powerful figure behind this, and efforts are being made to protect them. The state government should stop playing with people’s lives,” he warned.

Dr Himmatrao Bawaskar, the Managing Director  of Bawaskar Hospital and Research Centre in Raigad, who conducted a research on the issue, feels that the incidence of hair loss among the people in three tehsils of Buldhana district  because of the selenium content found in wheat procured from Punjab and Haryana and distributed through ration shops under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

“The primary cause of the outbreak was linked to wheat imported from Punjab and Haryana, which has been found to have a significantly higher selenium content than locally produced wheat. Our analysis of wheat from the affected region revealed that it contained 600 times more selenium than the locally grown variety. This high selenium intake is believed to be the cause of the alopecia cases,” he said.

The blood, urine, hair samples and stool samples taken from people in the affected areas, were examined as part of the research.

“Further examination of the wheat revealed that the selenium content was not a result of external contamination but was inherent in the grain itself…we found the bags of wheat had come from Punjab and Haryana. The state government must check the samples before it is distributed to the people through PDS,” Dr Bawaskar said. 

Quoting the findings of Dr Bawaskar’s research, Sakpal said: “Dr Bawaskar’s findings pointed to contaminated wheat made available to people through PDS. Laboratory tests confirmed that the contaminated wheat was the cause of hair loss. The wheat contained an alarming 14 per cent selenium, far exceeding safe limits. Research shows that selenium levels up to 1.9 per cent are not harmful, but excessive selenium can cause nausea, itching, and even diabetes-related issues. Dr Bawaskar submitted his findings to the state government, but his report was dismissed outright”.