THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of a random surveillance drive, the district wing of the food safety authorities collected 160 samples of drinking water from the outskirts of the corporation. When inspected, 101 samples were found to be substandard. Shigella, a deadly infection that causes diarrhoea, was reported in the capital recently. The district authorities have now stepped up measures to ensure safe drinking water and food supply and tackle possibilities of epidemic spread.
Alex K Issac, Assistant food safety commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, said surveillance has been stepped up in the district during the summer season. “We screened water quality by collecting samples from various parts of the district through our mobile laboratory. A majority of the samples were found to be below expected quality. We have asked the respective local bodies to make effective interventions to improve the water quality. Most of the samples were collected randomly from homes and shops in the hilly and coastal areas of the district,” said Alex. He said a report has been submitted to the Commissioner of Food Safety.
According to the District Medical Office, water and foodborne diseases, including jaundice, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and other diarrheal diseases, are likely to go up in the coming days. An official of the DMO said many parts of the city have started facing water scarcity, making the population susceptible to waterborne diseases. “We will direct the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to check the quality of the water being supplied in coastal areas and outskirts of the city,” said the official.
No complaints yet
According to the quality control wing under the KWA, the department hasn’t received any complaints regarding poor water quality so far. Santhosh Kumar R V, executive engineer of the quality control division of KWA said the department is ramping up infrastructure across the state and in Thiruvananthapuram district to ensure quality drinking water.
“As part of the Jal Jeevan Mission, we are planning to upgrade our district laboratories. Eight out of the 14 laboratories would get NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories)accreditation by June. The department is also planning to set up more sub-district labs in rural areas to ensure the quality of drinking water,” said Santhosh.
Eating out is a big risk
According to Santhosh Kumar S S, Public health expert and deputy superintendent (Emergency medicine) Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, summer is especially risky due to the spread of communicable diseases. “Eating out is going to be risky but it’s inevitable. Hence, people should be more careful and try to consume only freshly prepared food. Restaurants and hotels should be extra careful. Food handlers, chefs and cleaning staff should strictly maintain personal hygiene and use disposable gloves, masks and head cover to ensure food safety,” said Santhosh. He said drinking water with a low pH value (acidic) will not have any immediate effect on health. “However, it is not safe and can cause health issues in the long run,” he said.
Food safety authorities to launch special drive
As part of its effort to ensure food safety during summer, the district wing under the Commissionerate of Food Safety will launch extensive drives this week to check the quality of the food and water being served in eateries across the district.
Wayside vendors selling fruit sarbath and drinks, juice shops, kiosks, eateries and restaurants would be inspected as part of the special drive. Alex K Issac, Assistant food safety commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, said squads would be deployed to screen the quality of the food and water being used for cooking. After the Shigella case was reported in the state, the department had done extensive inspections in eateries, he said.
“We will launch the drive from Thursday. The number of wayside vendors selling summer drinks has gone up recently. We will be checking the quality and hygiene standards followed there,” said Alex. He said the department is gearing up to give FOSTAC (food safety training and certification) training to more than 1,000 food handlers in the district.
You can do your bit
Regularly clean and service water filters and purifiers at home
Ensure water is stored in clean and covered utensils
Regularly wash hands with soap before and after cooking, and before eating or drinking
Ensure fruits and vegetebles are washed
Avoid stale, old food or unrefrigerated food kept for long
Consume only warm and freshly cooked meals
Soaring temperature and unexpected mid-summer showers are making the state capital more vulnerable to diseases on top of the ongoing pandemic. Providing safe drinking water continues to be a challenge for the authorities. Complaints are mounting from coastal and hilly outskirts of the city