CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider giving compensation for the farmers who cultivate watermelon as they had suffered a huge loss due to the statements of the food safety department over the alleged injection of chemicals into the fruits for enhancing colour and sweetness.
The court directed the government to consider the representation made by a farmers’ association within eight weeks and closed the petition.
M Venkatesan, president of the Chengalpattu Farmers Welfare Association, had filed the petition seeking to take action against the then designated officer of food safety department in Chennai and provide compensation to the farmers for the loss incurred by them.
The horticulture department had submitted that inspections were held after receiving complaints from the farmers about the message propagated by one food safety officer that erythrosine was injected into the fruits for adding colour and sweetness, but it was observed that there was no such adulteration of watermelons in the field.
The petitioner had stated that the farmers of Chengalpattu district, where watermelons are cultivated in about 16,000 acres, suffered heavy losses and were unable to sell the produce as the general public had become apprehensive of consuming watermelons due to the misinformation.