Rautahat, January 10

Shortage of Nepali iodised salt has hit Rautahat folks hard due to the agitation of United Democratic Madhesi Front in the plains for the last five months.

The locals of district headquarters Gaur and rural areas of the district have been consuming Indian salt after the district ran out of Nepali iodised salt. Ram Lal Das, a local of Pipara VDC, said they had no option but to use sub-standard Indian iodised salt.

“The locals have had to buy inferior quality salt at an expensive price since the UDMF began its agitation in the plains,” he added. Das said the concerned authority, however, had turned a blind eye to the situation wherein they were compelled to buy salt at double the normal price.

According to various researches, a human body needs 100 to 150 milligram salt each day.

Meanwhile, local businessmen complained that they were selling the substandard Indian salt for want of options. They added that the Indian salt was of inferior quality compared to the salt dispatched by Salt Trading Corporation, Nepal.

Dhiraj Jaisawal, a grocery owner, said people had to compromise with the quality of salt since it is one of the most essential stuff in every household. Dr Prabin Jha, in-charge of District Hospital, Gaur, said lack of salt in the human body was likely to trigger various health problems.

He added that consumption of green vegetables could compensate for lack of salt in the human body.