Guwahati: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at Gauhati High Court against the use of calcium carbide (CaC2) to artificially ripen fruits, which could have harmful effects on the human body.

The PIL (number 35/2018) was filed recently by advocate Bhaskar Baruah, who has sought constitution of a committee to inquire into sale of loose calcium carbide in the open market to unauthorised and unlicensed persons who were using the chemical to ripen the fruits quickly, causing health hazards.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Singh and Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the state government seeking their response to the PIL within four weeks.

The Food Safety (Prohibition and Restriction in Sale) Regulations 2011 bans sale of fruits ripened by calcium carbide or acetylene gas.

"Calcium carbide is also an inflammable substance under the Inflammable Substances Act, 1952. Therefore, easy availability of calcium carbide in the open market in Guwahati has helped the unscrupulous wholesalers and retailers to use the harmful chemical for ripening fruits such as mango, banana and papaya," Baruah said.

The petitioner wants framing of appropriate policy/guidelines to strictly prohibit the sale of loose calcium carbide in the state.

The Centre, represented by the secretary of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, Assam government, represented by the commissioner and secretary of the health and family welfare department, state director of health service and the chief controller of explosives were made respondents in the PIL.

He said the chief controller of explosives based in Nagpur has been made respondent because his is the controlling authority of inflammable and explosive substances.

"It is a very serious issue since calcium carbide, which contains arsenic and phosphorus, can prove fatal for human beings. It can cause diseases like cancer, abdominal dysfunction and so on," Baruah said.