look news india
Whenever evening falls in the busy streets and lively markets of the city, the crowd gathering at the stalls of Chaat-Puri and especially Panipuri i.e. Golgappa is no less than a fair, where everyone from children to adults are seen chatting. But have you ever wondered to what extent carelessness is being taken in the name of cleanliness at the stall where you are eating spicy and sour golgappas with great gusto? A similar scene was seen when a sharp lady administrative officer i.e. ‘Madam Officer’ conducted a surprise inspection on a popular golgappa stall in the city. When that officer madam went near the stall and inspected it closely, she found neither clean water nor any arrangement for hand wash nor was the seller wearing gloves, which she was surprised to see. Seeing this blatant flouting of hygiene and health rules, the officer issued strict instructions on the spot, after which there has been a stir among all the street food vendors of the city.
Nowadays, street food culture has become an important part of our eating style and everyone likes to enjoy chaat-puri in the evening, but the health risks hidden behind it are not hidden from anyone. This recent incident has once again raised a serious question whether we are playing with our health in the name of taste. When Officer Madam investigated the Golgappa vendor’s stall, she found that water kept in the open, chutneys buzzing with flies and things being served with unwashed hands were directly inviting serious diseases like typhoid, jaundice and food poisoning. When the rules of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are flouted in this way at these stalls which are surrounded by crowds of customers, then it becomes necessary for the administration to be strict, because nothing can be greater than the life and health of the general public.
As soon as the convoy or team of that lady administrative officer suddenly stopped at that Golgappa stall, there was silence for a moment among the buyers present around, wondering what had happened. When the officer checked the utensils kept on the cart, the quality of water and the level of cleanliness, there were several shocking lapses that came to light, including spices not covered, wiping hands with dirty cloth and drinking water being impure. Many customers present on the spot also admitted that they did not pay attention to these things before the taste, but after seeing such sudden action, they also realized how careless they were being towards their health. The officer gave a stern warning to the seller and directed that if next time he is found selling goods without handwash, without gloves and without cleanliness, not only will the cart be confiscated but a heavy fine will also be imposed.
This sudden action at the Golgappa stall and the discussion that followed has shaken the food vendors and chaat-pakoda sellers of the entire city to their core. After this incident, the local municipal corporation and the food safety department have also announced that in the coming days, a large-scale safety audit of all the street vendors and street food stalls of the city will be conducted so that there is no risk of playing with the health of the public. Vendors themselves will now have to step forward and develop the habit of using handwash, gloves, clean water and food grade wrappers or utensils so that their business continues and the health of their customers remains safe. Even as a common citizen, we have to understand that before eating anything at a cart, we must check the standards of cleanliness, because ‘first happiness is a healthy body’ is the biggest truth of our life.