Jita Majhi, aged 35, on Monday became the third victim of the deadly mango kernel gruel consumed by the tribals of Kandhamal who ate it in the absence of subsidised rice provided by the government.

Majhi passed away at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, where she had been admitted after being taken ill following the consumption ofthe gruel. Two other tribals from Kandhamal had died after eating the gruel made of mango kernels.

The mango kernel deaths at Mandipanka village under Daringbadi block in Kandhamal triggered a major controversy, raising a big question mark over the efficacy of the National Food Security Act (NFSA)scheme in the tribal areas of the state. Earlier this month, two women died after eating the mango seeds. Six others were admitted to the hospital. Of them, two were referred to the SCB MedicalCollege, Cuttack.

Prof. Jayanta Kumar Panda of SCB Medical College and Hospital told The Telegraph, “In spite of all our efforts, we couldn’t save Jita Majhi, a victim of mango kernel poisoning who was undergoinghemodialysis with ventilator support. He passed away today at 2:15 pm at Medicine ICU SCB Medical College, Cuttack. The other patient is still in MICU and is on dialysis.”

Local Gadapur sarpanch of Kandhamal Kumari Mallick told The Telegraph, “We have been forced to eat mango kernels as the people of our area have no other means of survival. Most of them depend on the rice given under the NFSA. It’s time to considerwhether a tribal man can survive on just 5kg rice given per head per monthunder NFSA.”

He said: “We tribals eat rice at least two times a day. If one counts, the per day meal comprising rice is only 166 grammes and the quantity of rice per mealcomes around 83 grammes of rice. Can a tribal man or woman who works in a field sustain himself or herself with this handful of rice? It compels them toeat the mango kernel and other roots collected from the dense forest.”

Jita Majhi is survived by her husband, four daughters and a son. It has been alleged that tribal people are forced to eat mango kernel as the rice supplyunder the National Food Security Act(NFSA) is either inadequate or not being reached to the people at the right time.

Jita Majhi’s husband Risha Majhi, aged 42, told this newspaper: “Now with her death, one of theearning members of our family is gone. I don’t know how to manage my four daughters and son. The rice given to our family under the NFSA is inadequate.”