K'taka to convene inter-departmental meeting on food contamination
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Thursday said it would convene a meeting of all departments concerned and Bengaluru legislators to address concerns over rising food contamination, including chemicals and heavy metals found in vegetables, milk and poultry products.
Responding to a discussion in the Assembly, Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the government recognises the seriousness of pollution affecting food, air and water, particularly in the state capital Bengaluru.
"There is pollution in food, in air, in water and even in milk. In Bengaluru the problem is increasing day by day," Khandre said, adding that the government will call a meeting -- possibly next week , after consulting deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to discuss the issue with legislators and experts.
He said pollution in water bodies and inadequate sewage treatment infrastructure were major causes. Bengaluru, with a population of about 1.4 crore, requires around 1,800 MLD (million litres a day) of sewage treatment capacity but currently has about 1,200 MLD, he said, noting that delays in building treatment plants and land constraints have worsened the situation.
The minister also pointed to issues such as solid waste management, untreated sewage flowing into lakes, construction-related pollution and the need for stronger public awareness on environmental protection.
The debate began after BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan raised concerns about food contamination, citing reports of high levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues being found in commonly consumed vegetables.
The Malleswaram MLA told the House that residues of more than 200 pesticides and over 11 heavy metals had been detected in vegetables and leafy greens.
"Levels of heavy metals like lead, chromium, copper and iron are more than 20 times higher than permissible limits in some samples, posing a serious threat to public health," Narayan, a former deputy CM, said.
According to him, vegetables such as beans, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, chilli and cucumber showed alarming contamination levels.
The findings were based on studies conducted under directions from the National Green Tribunal and the Central Pollution Control Board, with participation from the state pollution control authorities and agricultural experts.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said food safety had become a serious public health concern in Bengaluru, pointing to a rise in lifestyle and organ-related diseases.
"Today milk, eggs, poultry and vegetables have all become a problem. We need a monitoring centre to test and regulate food quality," the BJP leader said.
Ashoka alleged that vegetables arriving from surrounding districts were often contaminated and said steroid use in poultry farming and polluted water used for fodder cultivation could also affect food safety.
He urged the government to create a monitoring mechanism involving departments such as agriculture, horticulture, veterinary services, health and the pollution control board.
Supporting the demand, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the issue could not be handled by a single department.
"Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and veterinary departments all have to work together because the food consumed in Bengaluru is produced in rural areas," Kharge said.
He noted that pollution of soil, air and water, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and chemicals migrating from plastic food packaging could all contribute to contamination.
The government, he said, had already begun issuing orders to curb unsafe practices in food outlets, such as the use of artificial colouring in 'Kebabs' and plastic materials in cooking.
Kharge added that the state was working on a circular economy policy that includes sustainable waste management, recycling and grey-water treatment, while also expanding solid waste management initiatives in rural areas.
During the discussion, Ashwath Narayan also suggested adopting advanced sewage recycling technologies and improving tertiary treatment of wastewater to reduce contamination risks.
Khandre assured the House that the government would study the reports cited by legislators and hold consultations with relevant departments to formulate guidelines and preventive measures.
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Nepal mountaineers worried amid fake rescue insurance scam
Kathmandu (PTI): Nepal's mountaineering community has expressed serious concern over a USD 20 million insurance scam, even as police on Friday dismissed as "misleading" media reports alleging that some foreign tourists were deliberately given poisonous food to facilitate fraudulent rescue operations.
As the spring climbing season for Mount Everest opened this week, Nepal Police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) said that ongoing investigations have not found any evidence to support allegations of food poisoning being used to facilitate fake rescue operations.
"We would like to state the fact that the investigation so far has not revealed any instance of toxic substances being adulterated in food," said the CIB, which conducted months-long investigation into the fake mountain rescue operations involving helicopter operators, trekking agencies and hospitals.
"Misleading and untrue news has been published in national and international media, as well as on social media platforms, based on unverified content," the Himalayan Times newspaper reported, citing a statement issued by the CIB.
The CIB has charged 32 people over the fake insurance scam. These people were freed after taking bail, said CIB spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha. The CIB had filed a case at the Kathmandu District Court, which slapped fines on the 32 individuals.
However, the magnanimity of the fraud hangs over the country as the spring climbing season starts.
"We are conducting investigation regarding the fake rescue operation allegedly being conducted by some travel operators in the Everest region and if found guilty, action will be taken," said Director General of Nepal's Tourism Department Ramkrishna Lamichhane.
"Also, we are trying our best to make sure such fake rescue operations do not happen in the days to come," Lamichhane said.
The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) came down heavily on the alleged practice, saying the mountaineering community as a whole does not encourage such activity.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the association said such allegations are "unimaginable" for expedition operators and stakeholders involved in Nepal's mountaineering sector. It stressed that Nepal has long maintained a strong global reputation as a safe and reliable destination for climbers.
The association called on the government to take strict action if any unethical or inhumane practices are proven, while cautioning that unverified reports could harm the country's image at the start of the peak spring climbing season.
“We discourage such fake rescues in the mountains and urge the government to take strong action against those found guilty,” said NMA president Phur Gelje Sherpa.
“No doubt, there may be a few bad persons who are doing these illegal things, but the mountaineering community as a whole doesn't encourage such activity,” he said while demanding that the government adopt a proper policy to prevent such illegal activity.
Dendi Sherpa, a three-time Everest summitter, said, “Because of the bad conduct of a few people, real climbers like us have to suffer.”
“This will very much have a negative impact on our climbing business. The government should be strict in implementing rules and regulations to control such illegal acts,” he told PTI.
Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,848.86 metres, and scores of other Himalayan peaks continue to be a big draw for mountaineers and adventure lovers from the world over, year after year, since its first ascent in 1953.
Mountaineering, especially for Mt Everest, royalty fees and a large mountain community dependent on mountaineering and related tourism in the region, is a good revenue stream for the Himalayan nation.
Till 2025, more than 8,000 Nepalese and foreign climbers have successfully summited Mt Everest.
In January, Nepal police arrested six officials of tour operators and mountain rescue agencies for their involvement in the fake rescue scam that defrauded international insurance companies of nearly USD 20 million.
In some cases, trekkers with minor altitude-related discomfort were allegedly pressured into helicopter evacuations. In others, multiple patients were transported in a single flight but billed separately to different insurance companies at full cost.
According to the CIB investigators, the accused staged medical emergencies to justify costly helicopter evacuations, which were then falsely claimed from international travel insurance providers.
Fake rescues not only generate illegal profits but also damage Nepal's international reputation and could jeopardise insurance facilities in the country, the CIB had asserted then.
The CIB in January said that their investigation showed that Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd conducted 1,248 rescues, of which 171 were allegedly fake, resulting in insurance claims exceeding USD 10.3 million.
Nepal Charter Service Pvt Ltd carried out 471 rescues, including 75 fake cases, claiming USD 8.2 million, while Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt Ltd conducted 601 rescues, with 71 fraudulent cases involving claims of USD 1.15 million.
In total, 317 fake rescues were detected out of 2,320 operations, leading to fraudulent insurance claims of nearly USD 20 million, the bureau said.
