Large number of unhygienic dansalas detected

by Carol Aloysius

Despite the Health Ministry's call for good hygienic practices from organisers of dansalas, a large number of dansalas failed to meet the requirements of the Health Ministry during the Vesak festival, All Island Public Health Inspectors' Union spokesman D.Y.S.R. Mudalige told the Sunday Observer.

"Compared to previous years, the number of dansalas had increased significantly.

Many of the sites, quality of food served and water was not up to standard", he said. He said the Public Health Inspectors' Union had inspected 6,830 dansalas of which 136 were found to have been set up on unsuitable sites, or had no proper waste management control, or lacked safe water. The cooking utensils and food hygiene were also lacking in some", Mudalige said.

"The organisers were not penalised but asked to rectify their shortcomings and given on the spot instructions", he said.

Several tea shops in all sacred areas and those in the city of Colombo were also inspected and nearly 130 were found lacking in basic hygienic amenities.

Steps had been taken to rectify these shortcomings by the Colombo Municipal Council, he said.

The PHI Union spokesman said that there was a spike in the number of waste material on roads this year.

"We found empty yoghurt cups, used lunch sheets and hundreds of empty cans of beer and fruit juice. These attract mosquitoes and can lead to a dengue outbreak", he said.