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.
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