BMC to crack down on roadside vendors

With the rise in temperature, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to take stringent action on the sale of unhygienic and substandard cold drinks and food.

The rising mercury levels have encouraged a large number of vendors to set up stalls on the footpaths and alongside major roads in the city. BMC has taken the decision keeping in mind the rising cases of gastroenteritis and jaundice.

Ashwini Mate, chairperson of health committee, BMC, said, “Every summer, cases of gastroenteritis, jaundice, Hepatitis go up. The unhygienic food stalls are major contributors of such diseases. We have instructed the health department to take stringent action against the vendors selling unhygienic food and drinks. If the city has to get rid of waterborne diseases, we need to crack down on 2,000 roadside stalls spread across all the 24 municipal wards.” 

During the summer last year, gastroenteritis cases were a major cause of concern for doctors. With the temperatures going as high as 40 degrees, the doctors are worried about similar situation if people are not cautious and authorities don’t take action.  

Rising temperature sees mushrooming of roadside vendors selling substandard drinks outside schools and in commercial places. The drinks on sale include different fruit juices and ice creams. Such cold beverages are one of the main causes for seasonal diseases among children.

Dr GT Ambe, executive health officer, BMC, said, “We do checks every summer. People should co-operate and avoid roadside food and drinks.”

General practitioners say it would be wise to stay off roadside food during summer. “Consuming such food can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, gastroenteritis and jaundice. I am seeing a rise in number of jaundice and Hepatitis A and E cases,” said Dr Pratit Samdhani, general physician, Jaslok Hospital.

But Dr Daksha Shah, head of BMC’s epidemiology cell, said, “We are monitoring the gastroenteritis cases. They are less than what we saw last year.”