Sale of ‘kulukki sarbath’ to be curbed in city

 

A large number of street vendors operate in Kochi without the approval of the Kochi Corporation.

As carts selling “kulukki sarbath” have popped up in the city after a hiatus, the health wing of the Kochi Corporation is planning to crack down on them.

The civic body had earlier banned the sale of the beverage in the city after it was found that vendors were using poor quality ice. The authorities had also tracked the source of ice to an ice plant at Chullikkal. Raids by the civic body revealed that ice was manufactured using contaminated water, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the health standing committee of the Kochi Corporation.

Sale of such drinks, which can cause health hazards, will be curbed. He said squads of the Health Department would soon be pressed into action.

The drink, prepared using crushed ice, sarbath and lemon, had been a hit in the city during summer months.

The civic body had also banned the sale of badam milk in the city after it was found that the drink was made in unhygienic conditions. The ban on badam milk would stay, he said.

This time, the civic authorities plan to act against vendors selling poor quality food together with the Food Safety officials as they are legally entitled to collect food samples, said Mr. Ashraf. Street vendors selling pani puri and bhel puri have also proliferated in the city and most of them have not registered themselves with the local body.

According to the Kerala Municipal Act, these mobile shops have to gain a licence from the corporation. He said the civic body had plans to act against food vendors operating in unhygienic conditions.