Mumbai's gannawallahs must be put on notice

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has acted after this paper reported about a viral video showing a sugarcane stall at Achole Road, Nalasopara. This stall had sugarcane sticks stored outside and dogs were peeing on them. The same cane was then used by those in the stall to sell as juice. The civic body has now sent a notice to the stall.

The report said that after a viral video exposing unhygienic lemon juice at Kurla railway station and Idlis cooked using toilet water outside Borivali railway station, another video has gone viral from Vasai now. Here a sugarcane juice seller was selling juice of sugarcane smeared with dog urine. The stall was also allegedly illegal. It is time for civic authorities to turn their attention on Mumbai's beat-the-heat elixir, which is sugarcane or ganna juice.

There are myriads of stalls and sellers dotting the city and the juice is a bestseller because it is the antidote to unforgiving heat and humidity. It is also affordable, fresh and easily available.

None of the above though means that hygiene should be ignored. Just because a product is cheap and popular it does not mean that sellers have a license to compromise on cleanliness.

For years now, the BMC has turned a blind eye to sugarcane sellers. It is time to crack the whip. Have rules and regulations about how sugarcane is stored. Many times we see sugarcane placed outside the stall, open to the elements because it is difficult to store it inside due to its size. Often, it is tied to a tree.

Hygiene is generally poor. Several players have moved into this space, with canned sugarcane juice and bottled sugarcane juice going upscale. This though is unaffordable for the common man.

Ensure sellers have licenses and make cleanliness, proper storage, clean machines non-negotiable. Put Mumbai's gannawallahs on notice, authorities.

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