Unclean toilets attached to kitchens:SCB hotels jeopardising health

 

HYDERABAD: The next time you step into your favourite restaurant make sure it meets basic hygiene standards. In the last 20 days, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board sealed several eateries in the area for not following food safety norms, with unclean kitchens seriously jeopardising customers' health.

In an example of how serious the situation is, one of the most famous restaurants in Tadbund was sealed by authorities because an unclean toilet was found adjacent to kitchen. What was more shocking was that there wasn't even a partition separating the two areas. With no exhaust, the kitchen was stinking. On raiding the unit, authorities found waste material strewn all around and walls covered with oily soot. Although the eatery has been serving food for long, officials cracked the whip only last week.

In fact, over a dozen eateries in the Secunderabad Cantonment have been going about their business without bothering to obtain trade licences leave alone food safety certificates.

The owner of a hotel in New Bowenpally allowed 23 workers to live out of a small room attached to the kitchen-cum-storeroom. Neither the kitchen nor the staff room had any ventilation. Most of the workers were migrants. The hotel's trade licence lapsed last year and the owner did not renew it.

According to food safety norms, food joints should have a separate dining hall, kitchen, storeroom, washing place for utensils and parking facility. They must also have good ventilation, clean shelves, well maintained drainage systems. The staff should also follow basic hygiene measures such as wearing aprons and head caps.

"During the initial inspections we warn managements to improve conditions. If they do not fall in line, we seal them after a fortnight. We will renew licences only if the managements take remedial measures. The fine ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh," SCB sanitation superintendent M Devender told TOI.

According to SCB records, there are 500 food establishments in the area. "We found, during our recent inspections, that none of the hotels followed rules and regulations stipulated in the Cantonment Act. Over 90 per cent of the owners did not follow food safety norms," an official said.
Admitting that they were not conducting periodic checks, a sanitary official, meanwhile, said, "Earlier we used to do surprise checks once in a month. This time we are conducting the raids after a gap of five years."

Speaking about the matter, S Janakirama Rao, a resident of Bowenpally, said, "Officials should conduct surprise checks regularly. Hotel managements are more concerned about their profits. They do not care for the health of the customers."

Customers' at risk

With food being prepared in unclean environments, people are susceptible to contracting diseases. Some of the major diseases they are at risk at:

Gastroenteritis (E. coli)

Cholera (V. cholerae)

Food poisoning (Shigella and Salmonella)

Typhoid (Salmonella typhi)

Hepatitis A (HAV)