By Monalisa Patsani
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 24: While the sharp, tangy taste of the ‘panipuri’ is undeniably satisfying, the process that goes into making them is far from hygienic, to put it mildly. That however doesn’t seem to be much of a deterrent for the thousands of daily customers who patronize such stalls across the city.
These panipuri stalls can be found virtually everywhere, from railway stations to shopping complexes to school zones. The vendors are laughing their way to the bank, with fat monthly earnings that come at the expense of their patrons’ health.
Just a perfunctory survey of how the regular panipuri vendor goes about serving his stuff to customers should be more than enough to tell you that hygiene is the last thing on their minds.
Shyam (name changed), a 17-year-old from Bihar, has been selling panipuris at Master Canteen Square and other major junctions for over three years now. “Nobody wears gloves, so why should I? It will be an extra burden for me to buy a set of gloves every day,” Shyam says, defending his practice of serving panipuris to his customers with his bare hands.
Like every other vendor, Shyam not only serves food, but also mashes the potatoes, adds the spices, mixes the ‘rasam’ and even takes money all with his bare hands, without even bothering to wash them once in between.
That hardly seems to bother any of his customers, who can’t wait for another round of Shyam’s lip-smacking panipuris.
An absence of monitoring on the part of the administration further emboldens vendors like Shyam to ply their trade even in the filthiest surroundings – mosquitoes breeding just besides the stall, garbage bins located nearby, and open drains that serve as wash basins.
“We’re used to such things. It’s not that bad,” says Ruksana Bano, a homemaker who is a self-confessed regular at panipuri stalls. “We Indians can adapt and adjust to any kind of environment. If we don’t get mineral water, we can drink tap water and there will be no problem at all. Moreover, street food tastes great!” said Bano.
However, things aren’t as easy. Doctors in the city have attested to how an increasing number of food poisoning, jaundice and cholera-typhoid cases have been linked to such panipuri stalls.
“The toll that this takes on your body is slow but sure,” said Dr Trimal Subudhi, a practising doctor in the city. “Besides the fact that panipuri is junk food, the utter lack of hygiene and the quality of water that is used in its preparation is a recipe for serious health upsets,” Subudhi warned.
