PATNA: People in city can now buy carbide-free mangoes and litchis from three Jeevika outlets here. Apart from its existing outlet at Income-Tax roundabout, Jeevika will open two more outlets selling mouthwatering mangoes and litchis – one near Patna zoo and another in front of Eco Park. The three outlets will sell the two fruits from 8am to 6pm. “The litchis are from Muzaffarpur and mangoes from Bhagalpur. One can buy the two fruits at Rs70 per kg,” said Manish Kumar, who is manning the Jeevika canopy near Income-Tax roundabout. “The carbide-free fruits are in high demand. People are making a beeline for the outlet, which was opened only on June 7, to buy these fruits,” Manish added. Manoj Kumar, state project manager for livelihoods under Jeevika, said “bumper” sale of the carbide-free fruits has prompted Jeevika to open two more outlets in the city. “We have been supplying carbide-free litchis and mangoes to big retail chains across the country. In 2016, we had supplied nearly 6 tonnes of mangoes and litchis to retail chains and the figure jumped to 32 tonnes in 2017. The fruits were supplied to different cities having good connectivity with Patna,” Manoj added. Nand Raj, a resident of S P Verma Road, who was seen buying the fruits at the Jeevika outlet, said the smell of carbide-free fruits was different from the ones ripened with the help of carbide. Food safety inspector Mukesh Kashyap said eating fruits ripened with the help of carbide can have adverse effects on organs. “Sale of such mangoes amounts to gross violation of the norms prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. People should wash fruits properly before eating them,” Kashyap said. He added calcium carbide is extremely hazardous to the human body as it contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus. “It is banned in many countries, but freely used in India. We are at risk of short-term and long-term health effects simply by eating fruits that are induced to ripen. A fruit ripened with the help of carbide contains greenish or whitish spot near the stalk. People selling such fruits use clothes to add to the temperature necessary for ripening them. Carbide starts solidifying after coming in contact with air,” Kashyap said. The food safety wing of the state health department has asked all district food safety officers to keep a watch on vendors selling artificially ripened fruits. The inspectors have been asked to take samples of fruits and send them to laboratories for tests.