VIJAYAWADA: Reports of using refined flour instead of hydrated lime powder to disinfect streets as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) created a stir. The Corporation, however, denied using refined flour as it costs more than the hydrated lime powder.
The videos of four sacks of 'refined flour' placed at one of the corners of the street in Guntur went viral on Thursday. Locals of Sampath Nagar in Guntur city noticed four sacks having labels of Maida (refined flour) on the street corner and questioned the authorities for using flour as disinfectant in place of bleaching powder.
The GMC authorities, however, clarified that the sanitary inspector of the area placed the hydrated lime packed in bags with the labels of `Maida' (refined flour). "It has to be noted that a kilo of Maida cost Rs 45 while hydrated lime power costs just Rs 9 per kilo," GMC Commissioner Ch Anuradha clarified.
Anuradha further said that the Corporation is purchasing hydrated lime and bleaching powder through tender and after third party verification by Siddhartha Engineering College. "As the supplier did not have enough number of gunny bags due to the lockdown, it supplied the limestone in the available bags (with labels of Maida)," she added.