Winter food: Discovering Lucknow’s obscure black carrot halwa – and Delhi’s rarer white version

 Both variants are markedly less sweet than the popular red gajar halwa.

A few years ago, I discovered Lucknow’s black gajar halwa the old-fashioned way: serendipitously while strolling around the city. After a visit to Rahim Nihari – to dine on the restaurant’s incredible paya, trotters and flaky kulcha – I stumbled out, satiated, and walked down Phool Wali Gali in Chowk. To my left was the beautiful Tehsin Masjid, a 200-year-old mosque, built by a high-ranking noble in the Nawab of Awadh’s administration. Just outside was Rahmat Ali’s sweet shop. It was in this hole-in-the-wall establishment that I discovered the existence of black carrots, which the people of Lucknow grate and turn into a halwa during the winter.

Lucknow's black carrot halwa | Shoaib Daniyal

The halwa was lovely. Slightly warm, it was markedly less sweet than the red carrot halwas I had eaten. The black carrots gave it an earthy taste, which was just a bit astringent on the tongue. It also had no khoya, a common confectionery ingredient across India, which is made by simmering full-fat milk for hours until the moisture evaporates, leaving behind the milk solids. Amir Ali, the owner of Rahmat Ali, had some strong views on the mass use of this ingredient: “It is a sign of laziness,” he said. “The real method is to use milk and reduce that. Since that takes time, people use a shortcut: khoya.”

Warming effect

The Arabic-origin word halwa means a variety of things across West and Central Asia. In India, though, it has always referred to as a lightly spiced, sweet pudding cooked in milk. The red carrot halwa is probably the most famous example of the dish, although several variants – with semolina, mung, chickpea, even egg – exist across the subcontinent.

In this panoply, the black carrot halwa is rare. Black carrots are grown in only a few places in North India. Even in Lucknow – arguably the world capital of this dessert – this halwa is not very well known. The few shops that do sell it are concentrated in the old city. In spite of – or maybe because of – this, the city’s older residents speak of fond associations with the sweet. “Kali gajar ka halwa was cooked in our house a lot when we were children,” said historian Rana Safvi, who grew up in Lucknow. Saad Rizvi, a restaurateur who also runs his own catering business, said it was a wedding season favourite: “At a shaadi, old Lucknow-walahs look for special sweets like kali gajar ka halwa.”

Amir Ali, the owner of Rahmat Ali, with trays of sweetmeats, including black gajar halwa. 

Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal.

The wedding season in Lucknow, as it so happens, falls during peak winter. In the Chaupatiyan neighbourhood, black carrot halwai Shiv Narayan Tiwari aka Tayya maharaj tells me that the sweet is intimately linked to the cold. “Jitna sardi hoi, utna biki,” he explained in Awadhi. The colder it gets, the more the halwa is sold. Tiwari explains this correlation using the “garam taseer” or warming effect of black carrots. Food cultures across India have various interpretations for foods that are hot or cold. The multiple meanings of hot in this context usually refer to something that is physically warming – as Tiwari claims black carrots are – or anything that is difficult to digest. More advanced versions of this theory go on to link emotions, ranging from anger to sexual desire, with the food you eat.

Early carrots

Tiwari takes me to his house, which is right at the back of his shop, and shows me a wicker basket full of black carrots. Squat and deep purple, the vegetable appears disquietingly alien after a lifetime of cheery red and orange carrots.

Black/purple carrots in a Lucknow halwai shop. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal.

Ironically though, black/purple carrots were the first carrots humans managed to grow – a feat accomplished not that far from Awadh, in Afghanistan. The carrots were incredibly high in anthocyanin, which gave them their dark colour – a pigment also present in other similarly coloured foods like brinjals and blackcurrants. Black carrots were, for the longest time, the only carrots humans knew of. So when Roman Emperor Caligula, frequently portrayed in history as a sadist tyrant, fed carrots to his Senate in the hope of sparking off an orgy (the root vegetable was thought to be an aphrodisiac due to its somewhat phallic shape), they were probably similar to the ones stocked in Tiwari’s house.

By the turn of the first millennium, writes the monomaniacally thorough World Carrot Museum, red and yellow mutant variations were bred from the original black. The red version is India’s most common cultivar, simply called “desi gajar” or local carrot in Hindi and Urdu. The West’s most common version – that I first saw in a Bugs Bunny cartoon film – appeared in the 1500s in the Netherlands, as a sweet orange cultivar that was bred from the earlier yellow ones. Orange carrots have become easier to find in India over the past few decades. They are frequently called Ooty carrots, referring to a major centre of their cultivation in India.

Six colours of carrots. Photo credit: World Carrot Museum.

White knight

The black carrot fell out of favour in the West, driven at least partly by anti-anthocyanin colourism: being water soluble, its pigment often ran, staining dishes and pottages. It did survive in some places though, even if barely. In Lucknow, confectioners mention the region of Malihabad as a centre of production. Punjabis also consume black carrots in the form of kanji – a fermented drink with chopped carrots, mustard powder and ginger, believed to do wonders for digestion. Coincidentally, another black carrot fermented juice, salgam, is popular in Turkey.

White carrot halwa at Old Delhi's Shireen Bhawan. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal.

Even in North India, the black carrot is rare, and its only dish – the root is not used in savoury preparations – the halwa, is scarce. Delhi, close enough to Lucknow to share language and poets, has no black carrot halwa. But, as city historian Sohail Hashmi says, Delhi has its own eccentric take on the dessert: a white carrot version. “It was very popular once upon a time,” said Hashmi. “Especially at weddings.” The red halwa only came to the city after Partition, he says, with the Punjabi refugees from Pakistan.

The white variety is now near-extinct and available commercially at very few places. One of those is Shireen Bhawan, a sweet shop in Old Delhi. Keshavanand, a cook at Shireen, is full of praise for the white carrot: he claims it does not shrink when cooked, unlike its more craven red cousin. I tasted some: it was true. The carrots held their own with a more granular mouthfeel. And like the black variant, this halwa was markedly less sweet than its red counterpart.

Which is of course not to say that the red version doesn’t taste excellent, commonplace though it might be. Winter is a time for culinary indulgence. And halwas – of any colour – are a must. To riff off from a politician who is a lovely carotene orange colour himself: make carrots grate again.

(Source: Scroll)

From Panchatantra to Popeye, we owe our liking to food because of tales and cartoons

Kheer, khichdi, and Scooby snacks, the many foods that played a role in our childhood.

Have you ever wondered what the rose apple from Panchatantra’s ‘the monkey and the crocodile’ tastes like? Or what you could eat from the picnic spread in Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series? Even the plump, shiny, red apple from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves looked appetising, although it was poisoned. A lot about food has been seeped into our minds at a very young age – be it through cartoons, fairy tales, comic books, folklore, rhymes and bedtime stories.

From the witch’s house made of gingerbread, cake, and candy in Hansel and Gretel to Raja Hooja’s laddoos in Tinkle comics’ Tantri the Mantri, these stories were written with an idea that goes beyond just being a casual read….

A lot about food has seeped into our minds at a very young age... Image Credit: Shutterstock

A means to connect, eat and learn about food

Gulf News Food caught up with Rakesh Raghunathan, a food historian and raconteur based out of Chennai in India, who said that food bridged the gap between people, especially because people were opening up to the idea of various regional meals. “Folklores helped people connect to food easily, be it through temple prasadams or just prepared at home. The Hindu mythology, especially, had a very strong role in shaping meal patterns, where they would talk about how deities like certain ingredients like butter and dairy, which encourage people to eat the same. It also brought to light what was available in that region.

“If you look at ancient texts in Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu, it’s not just about how old certain ingredients are, it also emphasises how they are used in cooking. When it comes to children, these tales helped in getting them to eat, of course, but it helped in getting them to understand the ingredients and stir their imagination. Like the moral-based story of the grand mum, crow and fox really helped in picturing what a vada looks like.”

Raghunathan highlights that most of these stories follow a very similar pattern as well. “It would often be moral-based stories, with animals as the protagonists and the story would often surround food. I think it is a great way to help children understand their food better. Today, it’s much more elaborate and I think children like that a lot.”

We also spoke to 40-year-old Ratika Bhargava, who runs a social media page called 'CauldronSisterss' with her sister Riccha Khetan, which feature Indian food recipes inspired by fables and fairy tales. The sisters, who are from Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, said these folktales and stories shaped their passion for all things food. “When my sister and I were young, our grandmother used to tell us a lot of stories. She was paralysed at the time, but she always told us stories from Panchatantra when we went up to her.

“One story which we fondly remember is ‘Ganesh ji ki kheer’. The story is basically that the Hindu deity Ganesh takes the form of a little boy and comes to a village, where the people are getting ready to prepare for Ganeshotsav or the festival of Ganesh. Seeing this from the skies above, the deity Ganesh, decides to have a little fun with the people and disguised himself as a small, poor boy. As he descended from the skies in his new form, all he had with him was teaspoon of milk, a grain of rice and a pinch of sugar. While he went around the village asking for someone to help him make kheer or rice pudding, all the villagers mocked him except for an old woman.

“She helps the little boy out by making kheer out of what he has and suddenly the vessel starts overflowing with kheer. It’s a story that made us try out kheer for the first time and we would eat saying it’s a blessing from Ganesh. The idiom, ‘ganeshji ki kheer ho gayi hai’, is also often used among our families, when something happens in abundance. It’s because of this story that we actually understood that you only need three ingredients to make this dish.”

Bhargava believes that food stories hold the power to strengthen one’s relationship with food. She also added that it adds to the culinary choices we make growing up.

“Another story which really stuck to us was Birbal’s Khichri. We have loved khichri since then, and today we’ve experimented with it so much that we have over 60 ways to make it,” she added.

Stories layered with many meanings

These stories used food as a means to encourage children to eat their meals, learn about different kinds of food, thus reducing the fuss that comes in eating and finishing a meal. In addition to this, it also told of social issues along with a region’s culinary traditions and practises.

Raghunathan fondly remembers the story of kozhukattai, a rice dumpling made with a sweet filling using coconut, jaggery and cardamom, which was told to him by his mum, as a child. “The story of kozhukkattai is actually a tale of many meanings. The story talks about a man who eats a kozhukattai and learns about its name for the first time. On his way back home, he repeats it to himself in order to remember it. However, he jumps across a small stream of water and utters the word ‘athiribacha’ during the jump, forgetting what he had memorised. So, when he reaches home, he tells his wife he loved eating athiribacha and she should make it for him.

“Unable to understand what he meant, the husband beats her up, outraged by her impudence. Soon, the couple’s neighbour comes over after hearing the commotion, to which he says after seeing her injured forehead: ‘your head is swollen like a kozhukattai’. This story not only taught children about the dish and its ingredients, but also underlines the problematic issue of patriarchy that was prevalent in the south at the time.”

The story also tells readers about the abundance of rice and the use of coconut in south India. However, Kozhukattai, has a different story in the North, where the protagonist is the Hindu deity Ganesh, and the dumpling goes by the name ukadiche modak.

It’s not just fables, but also cartoons

Have you ever wanted to try Scooby snacks just because Shaggy and Scooby-Doo from the cartoon ‘Scooby-Doo’ ate it? Even the multi-layered ham sandwiches did just fine, right? What about the steak and turkey in ‘Tom and Jerry’? If you have wanted to eat them while you watched these cartoons, you are not alone, because so did these UAE kids.

“Yes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo had really tasty drawings and animations of food. But what I personally loved was the tubby custard Po made from Teletubbies. I’ve always loved that, and I wish I could make it. The same goes for Ratatouille, after I saw the movie titled with the same name. It was just so amazing to watch Remy [the protagonist] make it, you know? However, when I tried it in real life, I didn’t like it when I ate it, as much as I loved watching it being made. It visually helped me understand a little bit about French cuisine, and now I like watching anything that has food in it,” said 24-year-old Dubai-based Indian expatriate and Gulf News reader Karun Mathew.

“Growing up, Cartoon Network of the 1990s was one of the best things that happened to our generation. For instance, Dexter's Laboratory taught us that science was indeed cool. Or Captain Planet was our first environmental studies professor. But my all-time favourite was hands down Scooby doo, and my favourite characters were Shaggy and Scooby as they always depicted that food, especially sandwiches, gave them a certain level of strength to face any problem and get out of any situation. Naturally, I followed that and did not fuss about food ever,” explained 28-year-old Murtaza M P, an Indian expatriate based in Dubai.

“It did not make me hungry as much as it taught me about the importance of eating good food. In my head, food gave us power, hungry or not, you should eat the right foods to be able to function and conquer any situation. When I was a kid and even now, I experiment with sandwiches, it’s the fastest thing to make and watching them mixing different foods together would just help me experiment with my palette, for instance creating my own chicken and waffle sandwich. However, my love for food expanded when I started watching Anime. I watch them on my days off and surprisingly some of them are actual shows that have soulful stories about people and food for instance – shows such as Yakitate, are quite interesting,” he added.

The portrayal of food in her son’s cartoons encouraged 30-year-old Sakina Rokadia, another Indian expat in Dubai, to make hot dogs for her son. “I actually grew up watching Tom and Jerry – their refrigerator would always be so full with cakes, jelly, sausages and pies – and it would actually make me hungry because it was always showing the two chasing each other and that would make me wonder why they want it to so bad. I remember asking my mum to prepare dishes for me after watching them on TV, especially the big pieces of meat that they would show. In fact, my son asked to me to make hot dog for him after seeing it in a cartoon, and was excited to try an avocado based on a cartoon he had seen.”

Rokadia believes that these cartoons are a great tool for children, especially because it increases the awareness of different foods and cultures. “I don’t mind watching cartoons even now. I think it encourages children to know what different kinds of food is available, especially those that are far from the foods that we eat in our culture,” she concluded.

Do you have a dish you love to eat after watching a cartoon or reading a children’s book?

(Source: Gulf News)

As BA.2 subvariant of Omicron rises, lab studies point to signs of severity

The BA.2 virus -- a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant -- isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some of the key weapons we have against Covid-19, new research suggests.

New lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants of Covid-19, including Delta.

And like Omicron, it appears to largely escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection, making illness after infection about 74% less likely.

BA.2 is also resistant to some treatments, including sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody that's currently being used against Omicron.

The findings were posted Wednesday as a preprint study on the bioRxiv server, before peer review. Normally, before a study is published in medical journal, it is scrutinized by independent experts. Preprints allow research to be shared more quickly, but they are posted before that additional layer of review.

"It might be, from a human's perspective, a worse virus than BA.1 and might be able to transmit better and cause worse disease," says Dr. Daniel Rhoads, section head of microbiology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Rhoads reviewed the study but was not involved in the research.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping close watch on BA.2, said its director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

"There is no evidence that the BA.2 lineage is more severe than the BA.1 lineage. CDC continues to monitor variants that are circulating both domestically and internationally," she said Friday. "We will continue to monitor emerging data on disease severity in humans and findings from papers like this conducted in laboratory settings."

BA.2 is highly mutated compared with the original Covid-causing virus that emerged in Wuhan, China. It also has dozens of gene changes that are different from the original Omicron strain, making it as distinct from the most recent pandemic virus as the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants were from each other.

Kei Sato, a researcher at the University of Tokyo who conducted the study, argues that these findings prove that BA.2 should not be considered a type of Omicron and that it needs to be more closely monitored.

"As you may know, BA.2 is called 'stealth Omicron,' " Sato told CNN. That's because it doesn't show up on PCR tests as an S-gene target failure, the way Omicron does. Labs therefore have to take an extra step and sequence the virus to find this variant.

"Establishing a method to detect BA.2 specifically would be the first thing" many countries need to do, he says.

"It looks like we might be looking at a new Greek letter here," agreed Deborah Fuller, a virologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who reviewed the study but was not part of the research.

Mixed real-world data on subvariant's severity

BA.2 has been estimated to be about 30% more contagious than Omicron, according to the World Health Organization. It has been detected in 74 countries and 47 US states.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 4% of Americans with Covid-19 now have infections caused by BA.2, but many other parts of the world have more experience with this variant. It has become dominant in at least 10 other countries: Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Denmark, Guam, India, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines, according to World Health Organization's weekly epidemiological report.

However, there's mixed evidence on the severity of BA.2 in the real world. Hospitalizations continue to decline in countries where BA.2 has gained a foothold, like South Africa and the UK. But in Denmark, where BA.2 has become the leading cause of infections, hospitalizations and deaths are rising, according to WHO.

Resistant to monoclonal antibody treatments

The new study found that BA.2 can copy itself in cells more quickly than BA.1, the original version of Omicron. It's also more adept at causing cells to stick together. This allows the virus to create larger clumps of cells, called syncytia, than BA.1. That's concerning because these clumps then become factories for churning out more copies of the virus. Delta was also good at creating syncytia, which is thought to be one reason it was so destructive to the lungs.

When the researchers infected hamsters with BA.2 and BA.1, the animals infected with BA.2 got sicker and had worse lung function. In tissues samples, the lungs of BA.2-infected hamsters had more damage than those infected by BA.1.

Similar to the original Omicron, BA.2 was capable of breaking through antibodies in the blood of people who'd been vaccinated against Covid-19. It was also resistant to the antibodies of people who'd been infected with Covid-19 early in the pandemic, including Alpha and Delta. And BA.2 was almost completely resistant to some monoclonal antibody treatments.

But there was a bright spot: Antibodies in the blood of people who'd recently had Omicron also seemed to have some protection against BA.2, especially if they'd also been vaccinated.

And that raises an important point, Fuller says. Even though BA.2 seems more contagious and pathogenic than Omicron, it may not wind up causing a more devastating wave of Covid-19 infections.

"One of the caveats that we have to think about as we get new variants that might seem more dangerous is the fact that there's two sides to the story," Fuller says.

The virus matters, she says, but as its would-be hosts, so do we.

"Our immune system is evolving as well. And so that's pushing back on things," she said.

Right now, she says, we're in a race against the virus, and the key question is, who's in the lead?

"What we will ultimately want is to have the host be ahead of the virus. In other words, our immunity, be a step ahead of the next variant that comes out, and I don't know that we're quite there yet," she said.

For that reason, Fuller says, she feels like it's not quite time for communities to lift mask mandates.

"Before this thing came out, we were about 10 feet away from the finish line," she said. "Taking off the masks now is not a good idea. It's just going to extend it. Let's get to the finish line."

(Source: CNN)

Vin Diesel walked Paul Walker’s daughter down the aisle at her wedding

 The theme of family transcends the Fast and Furious movies and has turned into a reality for the cast. Model Meadow Walker tied the knot in October and she shared images from her special day. She is the daughter of the beloved actor, the late Paul Walker. It was her dad’s close friend and costar, Vin Diesel, who walked her down the aisle.

© meadowwalker/Instagram

The Fast & Furious family showed up to support their costar’s daughter.

Meadow Walker married Louis Thornton-Allan in the Dominican Republic. Walker said it was a very intimate celebration. Another Fast & Furious actor attended, as seen in Meadow’s Instagram video. Jordana Brewster, who played the love interest of Paul Walker in the Fast and Furious franchise, is seen hugging the bride. Jordana posted the picture below congratulating the happy couple. Vin Diesel’s children were also attendees at the small wedding on the beach.

© jordanabrewster/Instagram

Meadow Walker shared images and a video from her wedding day on Instagram. One of the images is her being walked down the aisle by Vin Diesel. The video she posted showed her and Vin Diesel preparing to walk down the aisle. 

Meadow was 15 years old at the time of her Dad’s passing.

© meadowwalker/Instagram

Paul Walker passed away in 2013 at the age of 40. Meadow founded, and is the CEO of, the Paul Walker foundation, which aims to do good for the ocean life. 

Diesel and his family kept a close bond with Paul’s daughter.

Meadow posted a picture on Instagram with Vin Diesel’s children, with the caption “Family, forever.” Diesel is the godfather to Meadow Walker. In an interview Vin Diesel said Meadow is the first person to wish him a Happy Father’s Day and that it’s the most beautiful thing when he sees Meadow with his children. 

Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were more than just costars.

© Vin Diesel/Facebook

Paul Walker and Vin Diesel became close friends whilst working on the Fast and Furious movies together. Diesel said that he and Paul made a promise to each other that they would make ten Fast and Furious movies. He said that he saw how much the character of Brian O’Conner meant to him. In 2015 Vin Diesel named his daughter Pauline after Paul Walker.

Did your heart melt like ours did? Who are your chosen family members?

(Source: Brightside)

Qatar Mail: ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜನ ನೀರಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಬೇಕಿದ್ದರೆ ಇದ್ದಾರು, ಆದರೆ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ಪೇಪರ್ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಒಂದು ದಿನವೂ ಇರಲಾರರು

 Tissue Paper : ‘ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ 5-6 ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಪರನೆ ಮೇಲೆಳೆದು ತನ್ನ ಕೈ ಬಾಯನ್ನೊಮ್ಮೆ ಒರೆಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಬಾಲಕಿ, ಪ್ಲೇಟಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಬಾಳೆಕಾಯಿ ಚಿಪ್ಸ್ ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿದಾಗಲೂ, ಅದನ್ನೇ ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಿದಳು. ಆಕೆಯ ಪೋಷಕರೂ ಅದನ್ನೇ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ, ನನಗೆ ವಿಚಿತ್ರವೆನಿಸಿತು. ಅವರೆದ್ದು ಹೋದಾಗ ಮುಕ್ಕಾಲು ಡಬ್ಬ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ಖಾಲಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು!’ ಚೈತ್ರಾ ಅರ್ಜುನಪುರಿ

ಕತಾರ್ ಮೇಲ್ | Qatar Mail : ನಾನು ಕತಾರಿಗೆ ಬಂದ ಹೊಸದರಲ್ಲಿ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದ ಗೆಳೆಯನೊಬ್ಬನ ಐದು ವರ್ಷದ ಮಗಳು ಬಂದ ಐದು ನಿಮಿಷಗಳಲ್ಲೇ ಏನನ್ನೋ ಹುಡುಕಲಾರಂಭಿಸಿದಳು. ತನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯ ಕಿವಿಯಲ್ಲೊಮ್ಮೆ, ತಾಯಿಯ ಕಿವಿಯಲ್ಲೊಮ್ಮೆ ಏನನ್ನೋ ಹೇಳತೊಡಗಿದಳು. ನನಗೆ ಅದೇನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಕೌತುಕ. ಆಗ ಆ ಪೋಷಕರು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಇದೆಯೇ ಎಂದರು. ನಾನು ಹೌದೆಂದು ತಲೆಯಾಡಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಆ ಮೂವರಿಗೂ ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಮಿಂಚಿ ಮಾಯವಾದಂತೆ ನನಗನಿಸಿತು. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಡಬ್ಬ ತಂದು ಮೇಜಿನ ಮೇಲಿರಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಪುಟ್ಟ ಪೋರಿಗೆ ಸಂತಸ. ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ 5-6 ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಪರನೆ ಮೇಲೆಳೆದು ತನ್ನ ಕೈ ಬಾಯನ್ನೊಮ್ಮೆ ಒರೆಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಬಾಲಕಿ, ಪ್ಲೇಟಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಬಾಳೆಕಾಯಿ ಚಿಪ್ಸ್ ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿದಾಗಲೂ, ಅದನ್ನೇ ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಿದಳು. ನನ್ನ ತಾಳ್ಮೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಮಾಡಲೆಂಬಂತೆ ಆಕೆಯ ಪೋಷಕರೂ ಅದನ್ನೇ ಮಾಡಿದಾಗ, ನನಗೆ ವಿಚಿತ್ರವೆನಿಸಿತು. ಅವರೆದ್ದು ಹೋದಾಗ ಮುಕ್ಕಾಲು ಡಬ್ಬ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ಖಾಲಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು!
ಚೈತ್ರಾ ಅರ್ಜುನಪುರಿ, ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತೆ, ಛಾಯಾಗ್ರಾಹಕಿ (Chaithra Arjunpuri) 

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(ಪತ್ರ 4)

ನಾನು ಕತಾರ್ ನ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ ದೋಹಾಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳೊಳಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹತ್ತು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್  ಖಾಲಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದವು. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ  200ರ ಎರಡು ಮಡಿಕೆಗಳಿದ್ದ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳು, ಅಂದರೆ ಒಟ್ಟು 2,000 ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ನಾವು ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಗಿಸಿದ್ದೆವು! ಈಗ ಅದರ ಬಳಕೆ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾಗಿದೆಯೆಂದಲ್ಲ, ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಅದರ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಇಡುವುದನ್ನೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಿದ್ದರೆ ನಾವು ಇಷ್ಟು ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ಬಳಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವಾ ಎಂದು ಹಲವು ಸಲ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಿದೆ.

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ವಿಷಯವನ್ನೂ ಹೇಳಿಬಿಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ತಿಳಿದಿರುವಂತೆ ಅರಬ್ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತೈಲೋತ್ಪನ್ನ ಹೆಚ್ಚು. ಹಾಗೆಂದ ಮಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ, ಈ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ದೊರೆಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದಲ್ಲ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ದೊರಕುವಂತೆಯೇ ಯಥೇಚ್ಛವಾಗಿ ದೊರಕುತ್ತದೆ. ಬಹುಶಃ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕೆಲ ಭಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರಿಗಾಗಿ ಹಾಹಾಕಾರವೇಳುವಂತೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೇನೋ, ಕಾರಣ ತೈಲೋತ್ಪನ್ನ. ಅದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಹರಿಯುವ ಹಣದ ಹೊಳೆ! ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರಿಗಾಗಲಿ, ಗಾಳಿಗಾಗಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೊರತೆಯಿಲ್ಲ, ಕಾಸು ಕೊಡಬೇಕಷ್ಟೆ. ಕಾಸಿದ್ರೆ ಕೈಲಾಸ!

ನೇರ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನೆಗಡಿಯಾದಾಗ ಮೂಗನ್ನು ಒರೆಸಲೋ, ಇಲ್ಲ ಕೆಂಡದಂಥಾ ಬಿಸಿಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಒಸರುವ ಬೆವರನ್ನು ಒರೆಸಲೋ ಈ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ನೆರವಿಗೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಮಾತಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಅಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಟಿಶ್ಯು  ಬಳಕೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ? ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದರೆ ಜನ ನಗಬಹುದು. ಎಲ್ಲ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲೂ, ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೆಲಸ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳಿಗೂ ಟಿಶ್ಯುವನ್ನು ಅಗತ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ದೋಹಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಕಡಿಮೆಯೆಂದರೂ 10 ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದು ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಳಸುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳೋಣ. ಅಂದರೆ ಸುಮಾರು 1,೦೦೦,೦೦೦ ಜನ ಸರಿ ಸುಮಾರು 1೦,೦೦೦,೦೦೦ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದು ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ವ್ಯಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆಂದಾಯ್ತು. 3೦೦,೦೦೦,೦೦೦ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳು ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳಿಗೆ, ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೆ? ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ, ಗಣಿತದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ವೀಕು! ಇದು ಇಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಗಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ, ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತಾಳಿ, ಇದರಿಂದ ಎಷ್ಟು ಹಣ ಪೋಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನೂ ಒಂದು ಅಂದಾಜಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೇಳಿಬಿಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ನ ಬೆಲೆ 5ರಿಂದ 10 ರಿಯಾಲ್ (ಇದನ್ನು ನನ್ನಂತೆ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗೆ ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಿ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಹಾಕಬೇಡಿ. ಕತಾರಿಗೆ ಬಂದ ಮೊದಲ ಆರು ತಿಂಗಳು ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ವಸ್ತುವನ್ನೂ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗೆ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಹಾಕಿ ನಾನು ಹಲವು ಬಾರಿ ಮಾಲ್ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಗರಬಡೆದ ಹಾಗೆ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದೂ ಇದೆ)!

ಒಂದು ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರ ಅಥವಾ ಒಂದು ತುಂಡು ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹಲವು ತಿಂಗಳು ಅಥವಾ ತಿಂಗಳುಗಳೇ ಬಾಳಿಕೆ ಬರುವಾಗ ಹೀಗೆ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳನ್ನು ವ್ಯರ್ಥ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸರಿಯೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಒಗೆಯಲು ಎಷ್ಟು ಹೊತ್ತು ಹಿಡಿದೀತು, ಅಬ್ಬಬ್ಬಾ ಎಂದರೆ ಐದು ನಿಮಿಷ? ಇರಲಿ ಬಿಡಿ. ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಜನ ಪ್ರಾಯಶಃ ನೀರಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಬದುಕಿಬಿಟ್ಟಾರು, ಆದರೆ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಒಂದು ದಿನವೂ ಇರಲಾರರು. ಭಾರತದಿಂದ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ವಲಸೆ ಬಂದ ಜನರೂ ಈ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮದಾಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ನಾವು ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಕ್ಕಳಿದ್ದಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಯೂನಿಫಾರ್ಮ್ ಗೆ ಒಂದು ಪುಟ್ಟ ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಪಿನ್ ಮಾಡಿ ಕಳಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ದಿನವೂ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಬಣ್ಣದ, ಬಗೆಯ ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಬಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಧರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮಗೆ ಅದೇ ಒಂದು ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಗೊಂಬೆಯ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು, ಹೂವಿನ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು, ಹಣ್ಣಿನ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು, ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಚಿತ್ರವಿಚಿತ್ರವಾದ, ಆದರೂ ಸುಂದರವಾದ ಬಳ್ಳಿಗಳು, ಹೀಗೆ ಅನೇಕ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನೇರುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು. ನಮ್ಮ ಗೆಳತಿಯರಿಗೆ ಆ ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸಿ, ಅವರ ಕರವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡುವುದೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಿಡುವಿನ ವೇಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಮಜ ತರುವ ವಿಷಯವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಬಹುಶಃ ದೋಹಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಬಿಡುವಿನ ವೇಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆನೋ, ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು!

ದೋಹಾಕ್ಕೆ ನಾನು ಬಂದ ಎರಡನೇ ದಿನವೇ ಶಾಪಿಂಗ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಮಾಲ್ ಗಳು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳಿಗಾಗಿಯೇ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕ ವಿಭಾಗಗಳನ್ನಿರಿಸಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ದಂಗಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಹಲವಾರು ಜನ ಒಟ್ಟೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ 5-6 ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ನೋಡಿ ಅಚ್ಚರಿಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದೆ. ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ನಮ್ಮ ಟ್ರಾಲಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ಐದಾರು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು, ನಮಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆ ಇದೆಯೇ ಎಂದು ಗಂಡನನ್ನು ಕೇಳಲು ಬಾಯಿ ತೆರೆಯುವ ಮುನ್ನವೇ ಆತ, “ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಹೀಗೇಕೆ ಎಂದು ಕೇಳಬೇಡ. ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಜನ ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಲವಂತವಾಗಿ ಹೇರಿರುವ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸ ಇದು. ದಿನ ಕಳೆದಂತೆ ನಿನಗೂ ಇದರ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ!” ಎಂದಿದ್ದ. ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಒಂದು ಕ್ಷಣ ತಬ್ಬಿಬ್ಬಾದ ನಾನು, ಈ ಮನುಷ್ಯ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಕರ್ಚಿಫ್ ಬಳಸಲು, ಅಡುಗೆಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಪಾತ್ರೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿಯಲು ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಬಳಸಲು ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ ಎಂದು ಆತಂಕ ಪಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೆ. ಸದ್ಯ! ಈಗಲೂ ನಾನು ಅಡುಗೆಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನೇ ಬಳಸುವುದು, ಇದೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಭಾಗ ಎಂದುಕೊಂಡು.

ಒಂದು ರಾತ್ರಿ ಊಟಕ್ಕೆಂದು ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ ರೆಸ್ಟೋರೆಂಟ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಟೇಬಲ್ ಮೇಲೆಯೂ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳಿದ್ದವು. ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಟೆಲಿಗೆ ಅಥವಾ ರೆಸ್ಟೋರೆಂಟ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದ ಜನ ಮೊದಲು ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದರೆ, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅದು ಸರಿ, ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಹೋಟೆಲ್ ಗಳೇಕೆ ಟವೆಲ್ ಬಳಸಬಾರದು, ಏಕೆ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಬಳಸಬೇಕು, ಶುಚಿತ್ವದ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದಲೇ? ಇದ್ದರೂ ಇರಬಹುದು, ಆದರೆ ಅದರ ನಿಜವಾದ ಕಾರಣ ಅದು ಟವೆಲ್ ಗಿಂತ ಅಗ್ಗ ಎನ್ನುವ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ, ಜನ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳನ್ನೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಇಷ್ಟಪಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎನ್ನುವ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ. ಒಂದು ಸಾಧಾರಣ ಟವೆಲ್ ನ ಬೆಲೆ ಏನಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದರೂ 15ರಿಂದ 20 ರಿಯಾಲ್ ಗಳು, ಅದೇ ಒಂದು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಬೆಲೆ 4ರಿಂದ 10 ರಿಯಾಲ್ ಗಳು.

ಹೊರಗೆ ಸರಿ, ಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠೆಯ ಸಂಕೇತ. ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳನ್ನು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಗಮನಿಸಿದರೆ ಇದು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳ ಬೆಲೆ 10 ರಿಯಾಲ್ ಗೂ ಮೇಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು. ಬಹುಶಃ ಸುಗಂಧಭರಿತ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳು ಒಂದು ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗೆ 10-15 ರಿಯಾಲ್ ಗೂ ಮೇಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು ಇರುತ್ತವೆ. ಬಳಸುವುದು ಅವರ ಆರ್ಥಿಕತೆಯ ಮಟ್ಟವನ್ನೂ, ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠೆಯನ್ನೂ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ತೋರುತ್ತದೆಂಬ ಹುಚ್ಚು ನಂಬಿಕೆ. ಈ ಸುಗಂಧಭರಿತ ಹಾಗು ಬ್ಲೀಚ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಟಿಶ್ಯುಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕ್ಲೋರಿನ್ ಪರಿಸರಕ್ಕೆ ಯಾವ ರೀತಿಯ ಕೆಟ್ಟ ಪರಿಣಾಮವನ್ನು ಬೀರಬಹುದು? ಟಿಶ್ಯು ಇರಲಿ, ಅವುಗಳ ಪ್ಯಾಕ್ ಗಳ ಕಥೆ? ಅವು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಕೊಳೆಯುತ್ತವೆಯೇ? ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳೂ ಮುಗಿಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮಾಣುಗಳು, ಬ್ಯಾಕ್ಟೀರಿಯಾ, ವೈರಸ್ ಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ರೋಗಗಳ ಹರಡುವಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ತಡೆಯಲು ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತವೆ, ಶುಚಿತ್ವ ಹಾಗೂ ನೈರ್ಮಲ್ಯವನ್ನು ಅದ್ಭುತವಾಗಿ ಕಾಪಾಡುತ್ತವೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ಮಾತಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ ಅವುಗಳಿಂದ ಪರಿಸರ ಹಾಗೂ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಮೇಲಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಅಪಾಯವನ್ನು ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸುವ ಹಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಡಗಿ ಕುಳಿತಿರುವ ಕ್ಲೋರಿನ್ ಬ್ಲೀಚ್, ಡೈಗಳು, ಫಾರ್ಮಲ್ ಡೀಹೈಡ್, ಬಿಪಿಎ ಹಾಗೂ ಕೃತಕ ಸುಗಂಧ ದ್ರವ್ಯಗಳು ಚರ್ಮ ತುರಿಕೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೆ ಯೀಸ್ಟ್ ಸೋಂಕು ಮತ್ತು ಕ್ಯಾನ್ಸರ್ ಗೂ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿರುವ ವಿಷಯ ಹೊಸದೇನಲ್ಲ.

ರಿಸೈಕಲ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಪೇಪರ್ ನಿಂದ ಮೃದುವಾದ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂಗಳು ಸಿಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಇವುಗಳನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸಲು ಪ್ರತಿ ದಿನ ವಿಶ್ವಾದ್ಯಂತ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಮರಗಳು ಬಲಿಯಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಚರ್ಮವನ್ನು ನುಣುಪಾಗಿ ಹತ್ತಿಯಂತೆ ಮುತ್ತಿಕ್ಕುವ ಆ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ತಯಾರಿಸಲು ಜೀವಂತ ಮರಗಳಿಂದ ತೆಗೆದ ನಾರು ಕಾರಣ. ಸುಮಾರು 45 ಕೆಜಿ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ಪೇಪರ್ ತಯಾರಿಸಲು ಒಂದು ಮರ ಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಟಾಯ್ಲೆಟ್ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂಗಳನ್ನೂ ದಿನನಿತ್ಯದ ಬಳಕೆಯ ಟಿಶ್ಯೂ ನ್ಯಾಪ್ಕಿನ್ ಗಳ ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಸದಸ್ಯರಿರುವ ಒಂದು ಕುಟುಂಬ, ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೆ ಎರಡು ಮರಗಳ ಸಾವಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯಾದರೂ ನಂಬಲೇಬೇಕಾದ ಕಟುಸತ್ಯ.

ಅದು ಸಾಲದೆಂಬಂತೆ, ನಾಡಿನವರಿಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಡನ್ನು ಮರೆಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಇದರ ಉದ್ಯಮ ಹೊರ ಹಾಕುವ ಡಯಾಕ್ಸಿನ್ ಮತ್ತಿತರ ಕ್ಯಾನ್ಸರ್ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡುವ ರಾಸಾಯನಿಕಗಳು ವಾಯು ಮತ್ತು ಜಲಮಾಲಿನ್ಯಕ್ಕೂ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿವೆ. ಜಾಗತಿಕ ತಾಪಮಾನದ ಅನಿಲಗಳ ಹೊರಸೂಸುವಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದು ಮೂರನೆಯ ಅತಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೈಗಾರಿಕೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನೂ ಮರೆಯುವ ಹಾಗಿಲ್ಲ.

(Source: TV9 Kannada)