Experts caution people against beverages being sold on roadside

Jamshedpur: As mercury goes soaring, many vendors sell a lot of eatables near bus stops and educational institutions but hygiene is at a premium at all these places.

The hot and scorching summer in the city has not only made life difficult but has also increased the woes of the people. Several cases of serious diseases, such as dehydration, gastroenteritis, jaundice and viral fever are being reported in the city with nursing homes and hospitals witnessing spurt in admissions.

According to information, with temperature shooting up many people have been attacked with cough-cold, seasonal flu dehydration, gastroenteritis and jaundice. The city is experiencing its hottest June this season.

Residents, especially those who venture out during daytime, fret and fume over the scorching sun and sweltering heat while a few others grab the opportunity to sell seasonal produce and make a living. Stalls selling cool drinks of reputed companies, well known ice creams and juices of various fruits have a roaring business but their prices deter some people. So, they turn to roadside vendors.

� Enterprising villagers spring from nowhere and choose a vantage point to quench your thirst or satiate your taste. Some prepare sugarcane or orange juice, �kambu’ or �ragi’ gruel for sale; others keep slices of water melon under a mosquito net or glass case, bunches of tender cucumber or cocunut, jack fruit or palm fruit. Some vendorsadmit that this is a seasonal business,� said Dr U K Srivastava, city based doctor.

There are many such vendors selling a host of eatables near bus stops, educational institutions and other places where people assemble in large numbers. But hygiene is at a premium at all these places. Flies swarm the stalls; dust sweeps across eatables; and the quality of water used for preparation of various drinks (and cleaning the glasses) leaves a lot to be desired. Some vendors take precaution but a majority of them do not care for cleanliness. A visit to various stalls in the city shows that the onus lies on the consumers to be wary and choosy.