Amidst the Chaitra Navratri celebrations, around 400 people in Delhi were hospitalised late on Tuesday night after they complained of stomachache, vomit and diarrhea. This incident took place in Delhi's Kalyanpuri area, and all of them were rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital. Allegedly, all the people, who were hospitalised, are suspected to have consumed kuttu ka atta for dinner.
According to a report in ANI, one of the admitted people stated, "I ate 'kuttu ka atta' for dinner and started feeling dizzy, after that I vomited. I came here (to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital) as my stomachache continued. Many others, admitted here, have the same issue."
A doctor from Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital further informed that people started coming in with similar complaints after 11 pm. "We have admitted all of them and giving them medical assistance," he said, as quoted by ANI.
Reportedly, the shop owner, from where the flour was bought, has been arrested for further enquiry.
In another such similar incident, six members of a family from Mehrauli were hospitalised in the early hours of Wednesday, allegedly after having kuttu ka atta.
For the unversed, Chaitra Navratri began on April 13, 2021, and several people across India are observing vrat and indulging in 'satvik bhojan'. During these nine days, we abstain from eating rice and other grains and replace it with alternative cereals like buckwheat (a pseudo-grain) that load you up with every essential nutrient our body needs to get going. Popularly known as Kuttu ka atta, it makes for an important food ingredient during the fasts. It is affordable and easily accessible, and we prepare a slew of dishes with buckwheat flour.