With the advent of winter season, a large number of stallholders and shopkeepers in the city are selling unhygienic food, drinks and beverages causing abdominal diseases among the residents of Rawalpindi, while the authorities concerned are unable to check the trend.
A large number of stalls can be seen at roadside in different localities of the city selling traditional fried food like chicken soup, samosas, pakoras, french fries, jalaby, phaniyaan, boondi, cham cham, fried bread and eggs, bason laddu, patisa, halwa puri, gulgulay, kabab and mince golas. The stallholders are not following the hygiene-related rules, which are causing various diseases. They fry the traditional food in sub-standard cooking oil and in pinching heat. Flies could also be seen flying wandering around and sitting on the food items. On the other hand, the selling of unhygienic aalo chaat, dahi bhallay and gol gappay is aggravating the problem.
It is also a matter of concern that these items are prepared in filthy, unhygienic conditions in gross violation of rules. Most of the people in this business do not adopt necessary measures to maintain the quality of oil. The use of used cooking oil and ghee for frying edibles is also going on unchecked, putting people’s health at risk in most of the markets of the town. Most of the vendors fry edibles in used oil and do not change it despite using it for many days. The citizens urged the authorities concerned to take notice of the situation and ensure elimination of selling of unhygienic food and drinks, as the unregulated business was flourishing with each passing day.