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Vesak dansal: Over 300 found serving unhygienic food, says PHI union
With the Vesak festivities coming to a close last week the All Island Public Health Inspectors’ Union has found 333 dansal operating under unhygienic conditions, countrywide. Union Secretary Senarath Bandara said that there were many instances where contaminated food was served. He said that the food was prepared under unhygienic conditions in makeshift kitchens not suitable for cooking.
“They were cooked in garages and structures hurriedly put up with no water facility, nearby,” he said. Also, it has been found that most of the water used for preparation of food was unclean and tested positive for Ecoli bacteria. Samples of the water which were sent to the Medical Research Institute (MRI) Anuradhapura had tested positive for the bacterium. Accordingly the PHI officers had sealed four dansal in Moratuwa, Matara, Galle and Baddegama. “The food and drinks prepared were thrown away and the dansal ordered to close,” he said.
Meanwhile the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) said it had no complaints on the hot line set up for the public to inform on dansal serving food prepared and served unhygienically. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni said the 16 Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and six Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) who made random checks of over 100 dansal had not found any substandard food being prepared or served under unhygienic conditions.
Dr.Wijemuni said that most of the dansal, both registered and unregistered, had conformed to all regulations laid down by the CMC
Meanwhile CMC Commissioner, B.K.A. Anura said that the four private companies which have been contracted to collect garbage are working round the clock to clear it. He said that Colombo City had over 100 tonnes of garbage to be collected each day during the festivities.
Anura said that the CMC collects around 750 tonnes of garbage in the city on a normal day but last week the figure had shot up to 850 tonnes. “Most of the garbage consisted of polythene, disposable cups, plates and stale food,” he said.Additionally, he said that the CMC is tasked, towards the end of the week, with the collection of polythene flags and decorations together with discarded Vesak lanterns.
However with the celebrations continuing in the Vesak zones even till last Friday, the Commissioner said he hoped to bring back some semblance of normalcy to the city by Monday.