81% water samples from food vendors in A ward contaminated: BMC report

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The E-coli bacteria can cause severe stomach ache, diarrhea, urinary tract infection among other water-borne diseases, the report states. The A ward in south Mumbai includes areas like Colaba, Marine Drive, Dock Area, Ballard Estate, Carnac Road and P D’Mello road. With 67 per cent of the water samples found unfit for consumption, the C ward, (Kalbadevi, Chira Bazaar) ranks the second highest followed by T ward (Mulund) where 60 per cent of the samples were found to have contained E-coli, a report states.

According to the A ward report accessed by The Indian Express, the ward has taken action against 30 stalls, even cancelling their licenses. “Demolition was also initiated but the stall owners approached the High Court, which has granted a stay on the condition that the owners keep two separate containers for drinking and cleaning utensils,” a senior civic official said. Most of the samples tested, the official said, were from popular roadside snacks like pani puri and pav bhaji.

In the last few months, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has carried out a massive drive against street vendors. According to data obtained by the license department of BMC, the civic body has taken action against 35,758 street hawkers between February and June 15 this year. BMC officials confiscated the material used by vendors. “We are taking maximum precaution against the spread of water-borne diseases like malaria and dengue in the monsoons. We will continue to take serious action against all unauthorised and illegal street vendors operating in the city,” the official added. Salma Sheikh, general secretary of the Azad Hawkers Union said, “The civic body is just looking for reasons to earn more money from hawkers. They are clearly doing this to please some sections of the society. We are holding a meeting of all hawker unions on June 25. Corporation can expect a huge andolan from our side.”

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com