Ahmedabad, Sept. 9: Sunita Narain can expect a letter of thanks from Gujarat’s dairies. As the pesticide-in-cola controversy awaits a resolution, the “swadeshi” buttermilk has routed Pepsi and Coke at a major religious fair attended by over 20 lakh people.

As cola sales plummeted, over 65,500 litres of milk and 36,000 litres of buttermilk sold at the seven-day mela in north Gujarat’s Ambaji, claimed Ghemarbhai Bhatol, sales manager with Palanpur-based Banas Dairy.

Buttermilk sold four times more than last year, said Banas Dairy chief Parthi Bhatol. He added that in previous years, Pepsi and Coke had dominated the soft-drinks sales at the fair that draws devotees from across Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The cola companies declined to reveal sales figures, but local sellers spoke of a hammering. Ambaji-based Pe-psi distributor Mohanbhai Si-ndhi, who had unloaded 5,000 crates containing 1 lakh bottles at last year’s fair, admitted failing to sell even 20 bottles this time.

He was as disappointed as stall owner Ashok Patel who had sold just three bottles of Coke when the fair ended on Thursday. Most other stalls averaged one bottle a day.

“The reason is, people have realised that Pepsi and Coke are not good for health,” said Parthi Bhatol. “Our milk products are not only cheaper but also good for health.”

Agriculture minister Bhupendra Chudasama felt what happened in Ambaji could be repeated across the state. “Gujarat’s milk federations are capable of producing quality products that can be substitutes for Coke and Pepsi. I can see it happening very soon.”

He said though Gujarat – unlike Karnataka and Kerala – hadn’t banned the colas, “people are generally avoiding these drinks. A voluntary ban is very much there.”

Universities and colleges in the state had closed their campuses to Pepsi and Coke as soon as Narain’s Centre for Science and Environment kicked up the pesticide row.

The state animal husbandry secretary, D.K. Rao, said the most significant feature of the trend was that, despite the incessant rain, the state’s consumers have continued to favour buttermilk over the colas. “Generally, buttermilk is not a preferred drink during the monsoon months.”

The Gurgaon-based Pepsi corporate communications director, Ani Krishnan, refused to comment saying, “We have nothing to say on what is happening in Gujarat.”

Vipul Chaudhary, who heads the Mehsana Dairy, said the reports from Ambaji were a “good sign” and marked a “good beginning”.