Health awareness program for Esala perahera

by Carol Aloysius

The Health Ministry has launched a health awareness program for residents and spectators visiting Kandy to watch the Kandy perahera.

Sri Lanka’s most colourful and culturally rich festival commenced on Tuesday with the Kap Situweema.

Planting of kap and four internal peraheras of the four Devales, followed by the five Kumbal peraheras, the first of which begins today. It culminates with the grand Randoli Esala perahera on August 20.

Public Health Inspectors’ Union Secretary, A.M. Herath told the Sunday Observer that their officers along with the Kandy Municipal Council’s food inspectors, were currently engaged in raising awareness on several health issues that had cropped up.

“All wayside food vendors and other eating outlets will come under tight scrutiny to ensure safe food for the public. We will check the vicinity and site of all temporary food stalls to ensure there is no environment pollution. We will also take samples of the water used by all eating outlets to see if it is safe.

Legal action will be taken against any offenders”, he said.

He said that plastic water containers were also being placed at strategic points along the perahera route to provide people with safe drinking water. The union was also erecting banners giving instructions to the public on food safety, waste control and safe drinking water.

The Health Department in Kandy has launched an anti-dengue campaign with fogging operations in the Kandy town and along the perahera route ahead of the Esala perahera.