With temperature rising, cold drinks are on hot sale in the local markets here. lassi, icecream, serbat and fruit juice are the most favourite drinks of the season.
Makeshift stalls are now found spread in the nooks and corners of the town selling these items. Though they are making brisk business, the consumption of substandard and unhygienic drinks has caused concerns.
Many vendors are preparing lassi with 2/3 days’ old curd and peeled coconut. Most of lassi vendors are not observing any hygiene standards while washing their utensils in which they serve the drinks to their customers.
"Children are the worst victims of it as they get attracted easily to the colour and taste of the drinks and consequently fall ill,” alleged councilor of ward no-16 of Kendrapara Municipality Dinabandhu Sahu.
"Sale of spurious cold drinks or the drinks prepared under poor hygienic conditions is one of the main causes for various seasonal diseases among children in summer. Flies, wasps, mosquitoes and other pests at the stalls of vendors make their beverages injurious to health,” said Kendrapara district headquarters hospital medicine specialist Dr Baikuntha Nath Panda.
Almost all the juice and cold drink sellers use ice to make the drinks. Many ice factory owners use polluted water to make ice for which any drinks with the ice are injurious to health. Highly toxic food colours most of the time creates health hazards like abdomen pain, stomach infection, runny nose and viral fever. The children are the most vulnerable, stated Dr Panda.
Though substandard cold drinks are sold, the district administration remains a mute spectator and does not take any remedial step. The District Food Inspector does not conduct raids at the stalls either. When contacted, District Food Inspector Sunita Das informed that due to shortage of manpower she has failed to conduct raids.