In the month of March, several videos of a man preparing nimbu paani at Kurla station went viral as his preparation techniques were marked to be unhygienic. BMC inspected 236 sugarcane juice stalls for the same among which 221 were unhygienic for a human body to consume. 15,645 kg of ice including 10,000 liters of juice and 3,838 kg of fruits were destroyed by the BMC after the results were out.
As the sunny season has arrived and people tend to drink more juices, the BMC stepped out and tested the quality of ice and juices at local railway stations. 222 juice stalls came under the inspection list including the big ones like Dadar, Churchgate, CSMT, Kurla, Mumbai Central and the rest.
97% of the samples tested were classified as unhygienic. The juices consumed by Mumbaikars at railway stations could contain bacteria like E-coil resulting in serious health complications such as hepatitis and other infections.
Out of the 156 ice samples tested, 91% were contaminated. Use of unfiltered and dirty water, along with improper handling of juices or eatables and the unhygienic knives to chop fruits can be the major reason. After the obvious doubt on hygiene bar of railway stations, BMC inspected food samples from 195 stalls and it was discovered that only 43 of them were fit for consumption.
Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive director of the BMC health department told the Mid-Day that, “Consumption of such contaminated juices and ice can land people in hospitals. When the lemons are squeezed manually without maintaining proper hygiene standards, there are high chances of contamination. Improper handling of fruit juices and soft drinks enable the growth of fungi and moulds in them.”
