VEHARI-With the arrival of winter, the sale of food items particularly fish has increased while most of the vendors sell rotten fish in the market putting the public health at risk.
People demanded that to ensure the sale of healthy food is the responsibility of Health Department and district administration but they have completely failed to stop the sale of unhygienic food items in hotels and restaurants. The hotel owners and butchers are playing with the people’s lives, but the authorities concerned have left the public in the lurch, the people said.
Violators openly sell unhygienic and rotten fish along with Club Road, outside of Grain Market, Jinnah Road and in the other parts of the city. It has also been observed that vendors sell fish items at unhygienic places, whereas no sanitary arrangements or measures are adopted while preparing the items, the people said.
When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Syed Asif Hussain said that the administration had got registered dozens of FIRs against violators in this regard. On the other hand, the vendors were of the view that they could not afford ensure cleanliness while preparing food items as their margin of profit was shrinking due to inflation.
Talking to The Nation, Dr Faizan Kamal said that substandard food may cause diseases like typhoid, hepatitis, diarrhoea and different kinds of infections. He suggested that people should not buy meat that looks rotten. The people expressed concerns over the sale of unhygienic food items in every nook and corner of the city and main roads.
They alleged that the authorities concerned were not taking matter seriously. Asim Rajab Chishti, a senior lawyer, said that there should be a constant check on the sale of unhygienic food items. He also said that officials should come out of their rooms to control unhygienic food items being openly sold in every nook and corner of the city.