Cut fruits must be sold in enclosures, orders BBMP

Move aimed at curbing communicable diseases in summer

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to make it mandatory for street vendors to sell cut fruits kept in an enclosure.

They will seize cut fruits if they are being sold uncovered or in unhygienic conditions.

The temperature during summer provides a conducive environment for microbes to multiply and spread communicable diseases. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dr Manoranjan Hegde, Project Director, Communicable Diseases, BBMP, said: “If roadside vendors are found selling uncovered cut fruits, we will seize the fruits. A team comprising health workers and health inspectors has been constituted for this task. They will perform checks on a daily basis across the City. This will go on until the end of summer.”

“Besides, in an attempt to curb water-borne diseases and other epidemics, the BBMP has decided to seek help from other civic bodies like the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). There will be weekly inspections to check for drain and waterpipe leakages. Also, they will ensure that there are no blocks in the underground drain systems and keep a check on the chlorine content in water,” Hegde added.

“These measures will be implemented in all wards in the City. In addition to this, we will also have link workers distributing pamphlets. This is all being done in an attempt to curb communicable diseases,” he explained.

Doctors across the City welcome this decision from the health perspective. Dr Dheeraj Karanth, Gastroenterologist, Vikram Hospital, said that problems such as diarrhoea,  and gastroenteritis were common during summer. He also said it was important to ensure that the water that one consumed was hygienic and germ-free. 

While exposing them to air would welcome microbes, fruits when not cleaned properly could also lead to health hazards, doctors said. Dr Vikram Belliappa, surgical gastroenterologist, Narayana Health, explained that raw food, when unhygienic, could be a potential factor for illness. “We are not even sure if the fruits are washed in the first hand. Also, we cannot be sure whether something has been sprayed over it,” he said, adding that it was ideal that one consumed fruits that were cleaned and cut at home.