Health Dept destroys chemically ripened fruits

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 14

Officials of the Health Department conducted a raid at the fruit market near Rajindra College and destroyed artificially ripened fruit.

During the raid, overripe fruit was also destroyed on the spot. The district health officer said strict action would be taken against the violators as last week, during a meeting, all fruit and vegetable wholesalers were instructed to adhere to the food safety norms.

The raiding team led by District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Ashok Monga found that some fruit wholesalers at the fruit market were selling fruit ripened with chemicals and even overripe many kinds of fruit were also sold at the market.

The raiding team gathered all these fruit (chemically ripened) and destroyed these.

Dr Monga said, “Under the Tandarust Punjab campaign, we have intensified our field activity to ensure that residents of the district eat/drink quality food with proper hygiene. We will take strict action against the fruit sellers who have used chemical to ripen the fruit.”

The District Health Officer that consuming chemically ripened fruit could cause blood cancer, affect the central nerve system, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and loss of blood among other serious health hazards.

Last week, officials of the Health Department had conducted a meeting with 40 food business operators from the city, wherein the latter were warned against use of oxytocin injection for enlargement of vegetables and ethylene and calcium carbide for fruit ripening.

DC conducts meeting on Tandarust Punjab campaign

The Deputy Commissioner, Diprava Lakra, conducted a meeting under the Tandarust Punjab drive wherein he constituted teams of various departments for effective implementation of the campaign.

Officials from as many as 26 departments attended the meeting, wherein Lakra said to conduct checks, a team of GM District Industries Centre, food inspector and Civil Surgeon office employees had been constituted.

“This team will conduct checks at various units that store food products. Similarly, to conduct checks at drug stores, a team of drug inspector, Health Department and police has been constituted. Under the Ghar Ghar Hariyali Scheme, the agriculture, horticulture and forest departments will work together to promote plantation.”

He added that various activities were carried out under the Tandarust Punjab campaign wherein officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) visited the National Fertilizers Limited and collected samples of air and water.

Earlier, the Punjab Pollution Control Board teams visited solid waste dumping sites of Goniana, Bhucho, Rampura, Maur, Talwandi Sabo and Raman Mandi. The teams also conducted checks at five health care centres and 10 industries.

Dr Ashok Monga conducted a check at the local vegetable market and destroyed overripe fruit and vegetables.

Besides, the mobile food testing van tested 26 samples of milk of which five failed and four samples of water of which two failed.

The Health Department also conducted checks for larvae of dengue and malaria in major areas of the city under which 755 houses were inspected.

The police put up nakas at various places and issued three challans for using pressure horns and 65 challans for not having pollution check certificates.