Unsafe water packaging units to stay closed: NGT

Chennai:

The water packaging units declared unsafe in the state will continue to down shutters said the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal stating its earlier interim order regarding the units will remain unchanged. The NGT, had suo motu, taken up a petition to assess the safety of drinking water in the packaging units in 2013.

An association comprising 867 packaged drinking water units was made a party in the matter. The units were assessed for their location in the critical over-exploited, semi-critical and safe groundwater areas. Around 570 units in safe blocks were allowed to operate.

Another set of 33 units under the Metrowater jurisdiction, in semi-critical areas, were also permitted, pending a `no objection' certificate from the water agency for extraction of groundwater. The tribunal directed Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCN) to close down around 252 water units.

On Friday , special government pleader for the PWD and water resource organization Abdul Saleem appeared and argued the case. The tribunal then said there were three categories of the units on the basis of NGT's earlier interim order.Those denied permission, the ones shut down, were allowed electricity connection only to maintain their equipment and units with clearance. The water units with clearance had to abide by the conditions of PWD along with continuing operations for a limited number of hours. The clearance was provided “in view of the need of the public and also the employees' of the units whose livelihood depends on it,“ the tribunal said.

Meanwhile, a petition challenging GO No. 40, which classified the groundwater in the state in the three categories, was pending in the Madras high court. The interim orders of the NGT would continue, pending verdict of the high court, said the tribunal.

It also directed the TNPCB chairman to ask all District Environmental Engineers (DEEs) to monitor the units and ensure strict compliance with the order.

CMHOs to be trained on provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act

BHOPAL : The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is going to organise a three-day training workshop for chief medical and health officers (CMHO) by the end of this month. The FDA is holding the training after a span of three years to inform the details of the Food and Security Act 2006 to the CMHOs.

The joint controller of food and drugs, Pramod Shukla said the department has planned to organise the training session for the CMHOs of all 51 districts of the state. Technically, these CMHOs are the designated officers working for the FDA. The training session will be held in RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration & Management from February 24 to 26.

Shukla said that in the training, the officers will be trained on how to use the Food and Drug Act, 2006 including the rules and regulations of 2011. The Act was enforced from August 5, 2011. Earlier, the last training session for CMHOs was conducted in April 2012. This time in the training they will be trained about the new provisions made in the act.

They will be trained about the function, duties and the responsibilities of food safety regulators, inspections and reports, licensing and registration, online licensing, action on non compliance, sampling of food, packaging and labelling requirements, hygiene and sanitary requirements, food alerts, traceability and product recall and food safety management system.

He added that after the training these officer would have a sound knowledge of the new provisions of the Act and their workability will improve. In present scenario the food industry is growing rapidly, the departmental preparation including technically and academically strong officer can improve the food industry work.

Food safety not a concern for GHMC poll candidates

HYDERABAD: The year 2015 was a year which left the hapless denizens of the city with no alternative but to consume unsafe foods and fruits.

However, in the wake of the upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), every political banner has come out with a manifesto, which they have dubbed as a peoples' manifesto. Unfortunately, not a single one of them speaks about the need to cut down adulterants in the food people eat.

The manifesto released by the ru ling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, speaks volumes about making Hyderabad a global city, with state-of-the-art water supply and wifi in every part of the city. But, food safety experts note that there has not been a single mention about ensuring that the people of the city, get unadulterated food to eat.

Similarly, even the Happy Hyderabad Manifesto, released by the BJPTDP coalition, fails to make a mention of this issue. Rather than focussing on issues that are tailor-made for the city, this particular manifesto speaks about setting up a railway network, which does not fall in the civic body's purview. Not just that, this particular manifesto, compares the development of Gujarat to the city of Hyderabad. "This kind of development is only possible with the Bharatiya Janata Party in power," it reads.

"The manifestos released by all the major political parties, have made notes about what they can do to make Hyderabad a better and happi er city . But, not a single one of them speaks particularly about strengthening the food safety act or the prohibition of food adulteration act. There is very less focus on this matter," said noted agriculturalist, G V Ramanjenayulu.

The matters escalated to such an extent even the Hyderabad High Court, had taken cognisance of the matter, in August last year. Where it had asked the Telangana Government to initiate steps to curb this menace.

"As a first step to curb this menace, the city must have more food inspectors, who can lift samples. While the requirement is of 25 inspectors, the GHMC has no more than four inspectors who are handling the charge," said a senior official from the Nutrition Society of India, requesting anonymity .

He further added that the civic authorities need to step up the checks to prevent foods from being adulterated. "But to step up the checks, they would need more staff," he added.

According to the M Prasada Rao committee's recommendations on rationalisation of staffing patterns in the GHMC, a city as expansive as Hyderabad requires as many as 25 food inspectors and more people to lift samples at the circle level.

"If the political parties do not mention anything about food adulteration in their manifestos, the electorate cannot take them upto task if they fail to implement it, once they are elected," said M Padmanabha Reddy, a member of Telangana Election Watch.

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