In keeping its dream of gaining the Smart City tag for Itanagar, all out effort is being made to tick the checklist in terms of infrastructure and also beautification. Coming to the latter issue, the administration’s attempt to streamline vendors and hawkers in the capital complex is a step in the right direction.

The world over, flea markets and street food are hugely popular. Many tourist destinations are exceptionally famed for their delicious local fare all available in the form of al-fresco dining and bargain shopping. In Itanagar, most vegetable, food etc vendors are operating in this similar fashion. While it does work for society at large but this also gives the city an unorganised look and feel and also disturbs the Right of Way of the highways.

Regulating street vendors in public areas will go a long way in the beautification of capital complex, and also enabling the vendors and hawkers to earn their livelihood in a respectable manner.

With the eating-out culture just making inroads in Arunachal especially the capital region, authorities need to tighten its tentacles at the very start if it desires to rein control. The growing home-based food production units must be carefully scrutinised for quality control. Earlier, the administration had ordered food handlers across the capital complex to wear gloves and protective gear, but there is hardly any implementation.

Many street food vendors seem to go long periods of time without washing their hands, cooking utensils, or plates. The simple fact that street food is being prepared in a generally uncontrolled and unhygienic environment is enough grounds for a case of food poisoning.

That said, food adulteration alone is not the biggest concern but this sector being totally unorganized, requiring no license and outside the ambit of any legal jurisdiction is by far more dangerous.

After the ‘Maggi’ controversy, a lot of focus was on reputed multinational brands over food safety but we often forget about the quality of food provided by roadside vendors. Since the common man is paying for it, it is high time that this sector too is organized and routine checks carried out on food samples.

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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