Watermelon safety concerns spark online frenzy in Kashmir

Srinagar, March 19 : Last week when a wave of uncertainty surrounded the safety of watermelon, Kashmiris have turned to the internet in search of answers.
Ahead of Ramadan, controversy brewed in Kashmir when few doctors called for avoiding watermelons this Ramadan.
Following the resentment by the fruit growers and dealers, the Food and Safety department came up with a clarification and declared the watermelons safe for human consumption.
Amidst the controversy, netizens in the valley have been looking for answers from Google about the safety of watermelons during the current season.
As per the Google Trends, maximum Google searches from Jammu and Kashmir have been regarding the watermelons last week.
Google Trends showed that the Google searches regarding the fruit began with the commencement of Ramadan.
On March16 and 17, the searches regarding the fruit reached the 100 mark, the highest on the scale.
The calculation of Google Trends is based on a graph that shows the relative frequency of any search term on a scale of zero to 100. Hundred represents the highest level.
Google searches mostly ‘Is watermelon crop harvested in India in February’, ‘How are watermelons artificially ripened’, and “how to identify that a watermelon is artificially ripened’ dominated the Google search engine.
As per the Google Trends, the frequency of Google searches have declined especially after Food and Safety department came up with a clarification.
Pertinently, the sales of watermelons had declined by more than 50 percent in the first week of Ramadan following the controversy regarding the fruit.
The fruit dealers said the sales have now gone normal after the government cleared the air regarding the controversy. “We are highly thankful to the government which came up with valid test reports and urged people to consume the fruit,” said Ali Muhammad Khan, a fruit seller.
Watermelon is the most consumed fruit in Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan. Every year watermelons worth crores of rupees are being consumed in Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan—(KNO)