Buldhana hair loss cases not linked to wheat, water contamination: Minister

The cases of sudden hair loss reported in Buldhana district in Maharashtra in December and January are not linked to consumption of wheat supplied from ration stores nor does it appear to have been caused by water contamination, state minister Meghna Bordikar said on Thursday.

The minister of state for public health was responding to a question raised by MLC Satyajit Tambe during a short-term discussion in the Legislative Council, in which legislators Kishor Darade and Vikram Kale also participated.  "The hair loss cases reported in various villages of Shegaon taluka in Buldhana are a serious matter. A household survey has been conducted in all affected villages, and samples of water, soil, blood, and wheat have been collected for testing. These samples have been sent to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for analysis. Once the ICMR report is received, the exact cause of hair loss will be determined. Necessary action will be taken accordingly," Bordikar said.  Health check-ups have been conducted for children and pregnant women in the affected areas, the minister said, adding the government regularly implements various food distribution schemes, including Shiv Bhojan and midday meals, ensuring high-quality food grains.  "We are strengthening monitoring mechanisms to ensure the quality of food distributed through these schemes. Additionally, strict hygiene instructions have been issued for midday meal programmes in ashram schools and other educational institutions. Any negligence in maintaining hygiene standards will be met with strict action," Bordikar said.  Some experts had linked the sudden hair loss to high selenium content in wheat procured from Punjab and Haryana and distributed from local ration shops.