Diwali’s dark side
Sweets turn sour; air turns noisy & toxic
IT is the same story every year. The festival that celebrates light, purity and goodness ends up exposing the darkness of human greed and civic neglect. From air thick with smoke to sweets and paneer laced with adulterants, Diwali has become a test of public health and official will. This year again, ahead of the festivities, raids across the NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have uncovered hundreds of kilograms of fake or adulterated paneer and khoya — made from non-dairy fat, starch and chemicals. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has warned that over 80 per cent of sampled dairy products in some regions were substandard. Yet, this annual farce repeats itself because regulation remains seasonal and punishment rare.
