A lassi shop at Museum Square in city with a board installed near it prohibiting vending and parking at the place
Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: When mercury in city crosses 40°Celsius, it is auspicious time for juice and lassi shops to make brisk business. That is precisely the time for mushrooming juice centres to flout vending zone norms in Bhubaneswar.
Interestingly, some lassi shops are situated right in front of sign boards prohibiting ‘parking’ and ‘vending’. This raises a suspicion as to whether the civic authorities are in collusion with the vendors.
Although vendors require licence from civic authorities to run juice shops, there are several such enterprises across the city operating right in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits in violation of the norms.
Interestingly, there are five such shops which are operating in Kalpana Square area. Making a mockery of the civic laws, a majority of these shops are functioning close to sign boards which clearly say vending is prohibited on a stretch of 60 metres along the road.
When contacted, BMC deputy commissioner Deepak Routrai informed Orissa POST that immediate action would be taken on the issue.
“No one is authorised to operate in vending prohibited zones of the city. We will definitely look into the issue…we will take necessary action,” Routrai added.
Unfortunately, a couple of juice shops near Kochilei Market at Rasulgarh have blocked an important road map which guides tourists and visitors to the city. Health officials are supposed to inspect these shops regularly to prevent the spread of water borne diseases like jaundice and diarrhoea.
Bhubaneswar is already on the throes of acute jaundice due to water contamination.
“People have to be very careful when they drink cold drinks from roadside kiosks. If the shopkeepers use contaminated water for such drinks it will create health issues and spread water-borne diseases,” said Capital Hospital director B B Patnaik.
When contacted, city health officer Chandrika Prasad Dash informed Orissa POST they inspect many shops on a regular basis.
“We are very alert, especially in summer, to prevent spread of water-borne diseases. So, we inspect such shops frequently,” added Dash.
However, according to an insider, the health department has been facing severe staff crunch and consequently many lassi shops are earning a fast buck in contravention of hygienic standards.
