Bhubaneswar: Do you know why old and abandoned wooden door TV sets and telephones have suddenly become so costly? Here are the details.
Reports of people offering lakhs of money for old TV sets are pouring in from different parts of the state. These TV sets are also being searched in other states as well. At some places, old telephones are also in demand.
These old TV sets and telephones used to have a red bulb containing red mercury. The price of these TV sets and telephones have picked up as more and more people want to get their hands on red mercury. Some experts say 1 kg of this liquid metal can fetch anything around Rs 3 crore.
What is the use of red mercury? Well, some say this liquid metal is used in making nuclear bomb. At the same time, some say that the metal helps treat COVID-19. This is the reason why red mercury is highly in demand in international markets. However, there is no scientific confirmation as yet regarding the use of red mercury.
Recently social media sites flooded with advertisements claiming red mercury can fetch crores of rupees.
TV and telephone manufacturers in the past days used to use red mercury in a bulb which was used as a connector on motherboards of TV sets. Gradually, they stopped using this metal as its price went up, touching crores.
In towns and rural pockets in Odisha, youths are visiting old TV repairing shops and villages, searching for old TVs. At many places people are learnt to have urged the administration to intervene and take steps to refrain the youths who want to become rich overnight by running after old TV sets.
PNN/Agencies