Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorities during their inspections raided stalls at Shri Dev Bodgeshwar Zatra fair on Monday night for engaging in unhygienic practices, such as cooking and disposing of wastewater close to their makeshift kitchens.
Seven booths were fined a total of Rs 14,000 by the FDA. FDA authorities had already warned suppliers to stop unsanitary activities, and the inspections came after their warning. Some stall owners persisted in boiling and disposing of wastewater on-site in spite of the warning.
FDA inspectors discovered that food items like Gobi Manchurian and biryani were being prepared in unhygienic conditions during Monday’s examination. The owners of the stalls were instructed to cease operations.
According to FDA officials, just ten stalls were authorized for retail operations, and cooking activities were not authorized.
An FDA officer disclosed that although separate kitchens were established at the fairgrounds, food was being produced in unsanitary circumstances and served to guests.
The FDA has written to the Mapusa Municipal Council in response to the infractions, requesting that they cancel the offending stalls’ permits and assist with public health initiatives.
The organizing committee was also directed by the agency to make sure that vendors immediately stop engaging in unsanitary activities.
The FDA has urged local government agencies and event planners to refrain from assigning stalls without adequate sanitary facilities.
An FDA representative emphasized that “ensuring food safety is a collective responsibility.”
The zatra, which lasted for a week, is officially over, although the fair is anticipated to last for a few more days.
To protect the public’s health, authorities are working to stop more infractions during this time.