BMC T-Ward detects contaminated ice at 2 Juice Centers in Mulund!
Come summer season and the demand for mouth-watering ice-golas and lemon juices pick up. But, each year, BMC collects samples of ‘nimbu paani’ and ice from the street vendors across 24 wards in the city to investigate their purity. This year, too, BMC conducted a similar drive and, surprisingly, the BMC Health Department detected contamination in the two ice samples collected by BMC T-Ward. So Mulundkars, beware!! Home Times cautions all Mulundkars to say aloof from roadside cold drink vendors to protect their health.
Readers would be aware that the Central Railway has taken the tough decision to stop selling lime juice after a video, recorded by a concerned citizen, went viral on social media depicting the unhygienic method of its preparation at Kurla railway station. In addition, the water used by many street food vendors is unhygienic.
In fact, BMC suspects that in some cases, sewage water is used by vendors. What is most dangerous is that the ice used by the street vendors is contaminated. Moreover, germs and viruses in frozen water are not killed, but stay alive. Hence, on consumption of cold drinks, these viruses become actine and lead to several diseases like jaundice, typhoid, diarrohea, gastro ailments, etc. Hence, as a precaution, BMC starts collecting samples of water and ice used by street side vendors. This year, after the Kurla lime juice video episode, BMC has also alerted all the 24 wards to keep a check on all the fruit juice centers in the city.
Home Times speaks with BMC T-Ward Health Officer
Home Times spoke to BMC T-Ward Health Officer, Mahendra Singhnapurkar, who said, “From this year, we have even sent notices to all the juice centers in T-Ward. We have sent 15 samples for investigation, of which reports of 6 samples have been received, all of which, tragically, have been found contaminated. Reports of the remaining samples are awaited. ” He added, “After this detection, we have advised them and all juice centers and street vendors in Mulund to use superior quality materials like ice and other ingredients in the preparation of juices to safeguard the health of their consumers.” Mahendra Singhnapurkar, further informed, “After the detection of contaminated samples from Mulund’s 6 juice centers, BMC T-Ward would now be daily conducting raids on juice centers and street food vendors and would send samples for investigation. This checking drive will be continued during the entire summer season.”
