Pandemic sparks flourishing fake sanitizer business

The coronavirus outbreak has set off a flourishing business in fake sanitizers as counterfeit supplies have been exposed in Noida, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Vadodara, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

New Delhi: Kaliyuga is being turned out to be a ‘Kalti-Yuga’, thanks to all the corrupt gangs doing business of manufacturing fake and adulterated products at the cost of the lives of innocent people. Without any adherence to the policy of public health, these gangs have come up with, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of hand hygiene is gaining momentum. The corrupt gangs are taking full advantage of this situation and are coming up with various schemes of manufacturing adulterated and fake sanitisers in the market.

China and Bangladesh are executing the perpetrators, while the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, and Spain are increasing the measures of surveillance and monitoring of food safety standards. However, the lack of proper shielding measures in the domestic market is being utilized by such gangs in building up their own businesses. Laws and regulations can be effective only if they are made and are also enforced properly without any hitch.

Of late, these moneymakers who have been in the process of changing the current situation into an adulterated one, have come up with an unlawful business idea. The usefulness of surveillance systems is being questioned in failing the eradication of counterfeit gangs and devouring of racial public health. Meanwhile, the CAG report has pointed out several administrative and systemic shortcomings in a country where everything from milk and pulses to oils and spices is found to be adulterous.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, various gangs are emerging that are cashing in on the growing importance of hand hygiene. In view of the lump sum demand for sanitizers, the government of India has come up with a policy of setting the maximum price of 200 ml as Rs.100, almost about 5 months ago itself. Guidelines have been issued to create quality sanitizers using ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and n propyl alcohol. However, within a few weeks, counterfeit sanitisers manufacturing gangs were exposed in Noida, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Vadodara, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

A small investigation leads to a big revelation

In Prakasam, Kadapa and Chittoor districts, about 50 people who were addicted to alcohol died after consuming sanitizers in frenzy. An investigation into the nature of these deaths led the police to a greater revelation of the causes and the illegal industry thereafter!! The chemical methanol is available quite cheaply in the market at an average rate of Rs.10-15 per litre. The miscreant gangs thereafter started mixing this with other chemicals and started preparing adulterated products. These counterfeit goods businesses are now flourishing as a cottage industry in the suburbs of Hyderabad. In the guise of personal hygiene protocols, it is quite astonishing as to how these illegal traders are flourishing their personal gains on the basis of playing around with the public lives!

Lack of integrity

The High Court of the united Andhra Pradesh had some time ago stated that "There is a severe lack of integrity amongst the authorities to prevent corruption and the illegal traders are not at all bothered of the public health measures”. This statement by itself is a proof of indication as to who the actual culprits are, in the entire process of illegal trading. It is all the more being proven right in times of COVID pandemic too. Bloodthirsty people who do not heed warnings that the use of methanol in sanitizers can damage the eyes, stunt the nervous system, and prolong chronic diseases ending in death and being supported by those who are betraying their responsibility towards the society!

Endless Sacrifices

China and Bangladesh are executing the perpetrators, while the UK, Brazil, France, and Spain are leading the way in implementing and monitoring food safety standards. The lack of proper armoury correction measures in the nation is becoming an unwelcome boon to the perpetrator gangs for expanding their illegal trades without any hindrances. It is very well known that adulteration in milk harshly stifles the growth of infants while the mixing of harmful compounds in oils, etc. can cause cancers and ulcers in the intestines. Slowly, the next in line of such adulterated products seem to be the fake sanitizers that are gearing up to take the lives of many victims in line!!

To be filtered at a high rate

The responsibility of the Central Government seems to have come to an end with the establishment of an all-India level authority. At the state level, there is a lack of a specific mechanism that can strictly enforce the rules and regulations. Surveillance checkpoints must be thoroughly purged so that vile counterfeit mafia foundations can be destroyed completely. It is not a matter of making laws and regulations and shaking hands. They are effective only if they are implemented properly at the field level. If only there was an efficient mechanism to end the atrocities ruthlessly- the avenues for broken forces would soon be closed!