Hyderabad: All prisons in Telangana would be trying out the traditional diet to protect inmates from the ill-effects of high temperatures in the state.
Accordingly, the menu for inmates’ lunch and dinner will have Pacchi Pulusu, which is believed to reduce body heat — pitta dosha in Ayurveda — among people.
According to Ayurveda, a person who has pitta dosha will experience heartburn, peptic ulcers, hyperacidity, acne, diarrhea, skin rashes and excessive body heat. This creates a complete imbalance in their system and makes them aggressive, jealous, irritable and angry. The body heat is believed to increase in the summer.
Officials from the prisons’ headquarters have also directed superintendents of all the prisons including central, district and sub-jails to reduce spices and other masalas till the end of summer.
Spice and masalas, apart from deep fried, sour, spicy, salty foods such as pickles, chilies and citrus foods, are traditionally considered to be the one which increase body heat among people.
According to A. Naras-imha, in-charge IG of Telangana Prisons, “In view of the rising temperature in the state, the department is planning to prevent prisoners from the ill-effects of heat. We are already having ceiling fans in all the prisons. As the roofs of the barracks are having more than 15 feet high, the outside temperature may not hurt inmates. We will provide 200 ml butter milk during afternoon to all the inmates in all prisons from April. We may increase the quantity in cases of doctor’s recommendation.”
Ms Basheera Begam, superintendent of Chanch-alguda women prison, said that they made Pacchi Pulusu mandatory in the menu during lunch.
“We have also increased the quantity of curd in both the lunch and dinner,” she said.
Superintendent of Cherlapally Central Prison K.V. Reddy said that they were taking all the precautions in the view of the summer in even wet canteens, where inmates could place order for biryani and other stuff, apart from the regular menu.
