India's ban on common salt put "on hold"

Abstract

Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has put on hold a ban imposed by the Health Ministry in May this year on the sale of common salt for human consumption. The ban had been aimed at promotion of consumption of iodized salt and prevention of iodine-deficiency disorders. Vajpayee's action is prompted by interim orders passed by two High Courts and countrywide protests at the ban. The ban would also affect several thousand small manufacturers of common salt. "It is a major setback," says Chandrakand S. Pandav, coordinator for the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. India has 200 million people at the risk of iodine deficiency and more than 70 million have iodine-deficiency disorders.