PANJIM: The ongoing smart city works may have already taken a toll on Panjim’s infrastructure, but to add to its overflowing cup of woes, the not so ‘smart city’ stares at a health hazard as the stinking drains at the Kadamba bus terminus in Panjim have been choked with kitchen waste haphazardly released by the food stalls located nearby.
The drains, particularly at the bus bay located close to the motorcycle pilot stand, stand blocked on account of the kitchen waste and wastewater released “illegally” by tea stalls and other small food joints.
When the O Heraldo team visited the bus stand, it found the spot unhygienic.
The commuters complained of a foul stench emanating from the drains. The commuters demanded that Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL) initiate immediate action against those responsible for the mess.
“When we pass through these food joints, the smell is so unbearable that we feel like vomiting. If the KTCL is not initiating action then the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration should step in and take the KTCL and the food joint operators to task,” demanded Reema Satarkar, who commutes from Mapusa to Panjim on a daily basis.
Sanjyot Kudalkar, Senior Food Safety Officer has a standard reply: “If there are any specific complaints with regards to “unhygienic” stalls or food business operators, we will inspect them”, without even promising to go to the spot based on O Heraldo’s findings.
“You can clearly see that the pipes from outlets are connected directly to the drains. The release of waste into the drains should be stopped and the drains need to be cleaned to prevent water logging during the monsoon,” said Jayesh Parab, a bus driver.
When contacted, KTCL chairman Ulhas Tuenkar said that releasing waste or even water by the food joints in the drains was “wrong” and assured to initiate action against the operators of these food joints.
“We are viewing this seriously. We will take action against them and necessary instructions will be given to the officials to ensure that corrective measures are taken,” Tuenkar said.
A senior KTCL official Akash Sakhardande claimed that the action has already been initiated against a tea stall operator and that he has been asked to clean the choked drains.
“We had received complaints in this regard and during our inspection it was found that Harman Chahawala, a tea shop, is releasing waste from his outlet in the drains. We have asked the operator to stop releasing the waste in the drain and to clean the same,” Sakhardande said.
The official said that if the operators fail to clean the drains then KTCL will initiate further action as per the law of the land.
“We will conduct inspections again to check such violations and take appropriate action against the operators,” she assured.
Senior Food Safety Officer Sanjyot Kudalkar said, “The FDA is concerned with the hygiene inside the stalls and hotels operating at the KTCL bus terminus. These stalls possess the FDA licence and the FDA team conducts regular checks on various establishments located in the city. If there are any specific complaints with regard to “unhygienic” stalls or food business operators, we will inspect them. If there is any deficiency, we will initiate action.”
When O Heraldo team met the food stall staff, they refused to share the contact numbers of their employers and refrained from divulging further details.
