Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The fresh nimbu-pani, sugarcane juice and other soft drinks being sold on the roadside do give relief from the scorching heat but how far they are safe for health remains a big question.
Waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, jaundice, dysentery are on rise and the consumption of sugarcane juice, lemonade, aam panna from roadside vendors may end up leaving you ill if the water and ice used in these drinks are not safe, cautioned medical experts .
Asking to beware of potential health dangers while sipping chilled juice and drinks, they said that infections such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B have a common source of contamination i.e. water. In the summertime, many roadside vendors set up makeshift juice stalls, including those selling samosa and kachoris, to cash in on the soaring temperatures by offering sugarcane juice, lemon water and other refreshing beverages but many a time they compromise on the water and ice used.
The practice of drinking unsafe water from roadside juice shops and public gatherings may be detrimental to health. Most of the roadside joints selling beverages do not use food-grade ice which may cause health issues. Food safety department too has confirmed that ice used by the vendors lead to various diseases, the doctors said.
Confirming that the hospital is seeing a rise in the number of patients with water-borne diseases, the Civil surgeon of JP Hospital Dr Rakesh Shrivastava said,” People are frequently complaining of loose motions and upset stomach after consuming beverages from roadside vendors.” The chilled juice may protect from dehydration on hot summer days but one might end up getting infection which may lead to loose motion, diarrhea, jaundice because of the use of contaminated water or industrial ice in the drinks, the doctor said.
So one must be very careful and ensure that whatever is being consumed is safe for health, he added.
