Tura, June 12: With the Meghalaya government temporarily banning the sale of imported fish in the state following the detection of formalin in those fish, the West Garo Hills is facing a significant challenge as it currently has no testing kit to check for formalin in fish.

This has come as a major shock and setback to people as they are caught in a quandary with the district administration unable to help them decide on safe and unsafe fish. Formalin is a preservative that is applied on fish body to prevent its decay. According to the Experts this chemical cannot be used to preserve the fish which is meant for consumption. It is only used to increase shelf-life of the fish and this chemical is popular in the fish industry. If animal studies are to be believed then- formalin is a cancer-causing agent. Basically, formalin is used in mortuaries for the preservation of bodies.

This shocking fact was revealed by in-charge Superintendent of Fisheries, West Garo Hills, Resa V. Ch. Sangma, while talking to Hub News on Monday.

“We regret to inform you that due to the non-availability of a testing kit for formalin, we are unable to carry out any testing at the moment,” Sangma said, adding that “once we acquire the testing kit, we will be able to accurately assess the levels of formalin present in the fish.”

She also informed that efforts have been made in the past to secure a testing kit, but to no avail. However, she is hopeful that the situation will soon be resolved. “We have previously sent a requisition for the testing kit, and we anticipate receiving it within the next few days. Once we have the kit, we will commence regular testing procedures,” Sangma assured.

While it is nearly impossible to detect formalin with household means, to ensure their fish is free from the effects of formalin, citizens can wash wish the fish under running water for atleast 10-12 minutes.