1 day Ago
Surat: The health department of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is set to launch a dedicated night-time hygiene and sanitation drive targeting food courts across the city. These food courts, which have sprung up in several areas, house multiple food stalls that operate late into the night and serve a large volume of cooked food. While earlier inspections were carried out sporadically, the upcoming drive will be more systematic, aiming for stricter enforcement of public health and safety regulations.
As part of the initiative, health teams will inspect the cleanliness of stalls, check whether employees possess valid medical certificates, and ensure that workers are wearing clean clothes. The teams will also assess whether waste is being disposed of properly. "Sanitary inspectors will verify if the stalls are following waste disposal norms.
Littering in food court areas will attract fines," said a health officer from the department. This drive follows a recent night sanitation check that began on April 13. During that campaign, which ran between 10pm and 2am, the SMC inspected 902 establishments — including tea stalls, pan shops, and cold drink outlets.
If a shop was found closed at night but waste was observed around it, the team took photographs and imposed fines based on evidence gathered the following day. The operation led to fines totalling Rs 8.75 lakh against 210 shops found violating hygiene norms.
Officials also destroyed 564 kg of food deemed unfit for consumption and seized 450 kg of banned plastic. The inspection covered 298 tea stalls, 340 cold drink outlets, 150 pan shops, and 123 other commercial establishments. "The focus was on evaluating how well these vendors maintain cleanliness around their shops and whether they are segregating dry and wet waste," the health officer added.
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