MOHALI: Food safety teams and Zirakpur municipal committee (MC) jointly conducted raids in Zirakpur and found a

hold of a fruit seller using sewerage water to wash

. The officials seized 70kg peaches from the seller and also issued challan to him warning not to repeat the practice. Two peach samples were sealed for laboratory testing.

The action was taken after TOI highlighted the matter of roadside fruit sellers using sewerage water and some chemical to add a lustre to fruits lilke peaches, plums and luscious litchis.

deputy commissioner (DC) Girish Dayalan directed the food safety teams and Zirakpur MC to take action as per law.

The fruit seller who was caught hold has been identified as Dharampal who sold fruits near Skynet Towers. Teams found two crates of peaches in his possession which were being washed with sewerage water. The teams also inspected the fruit sellers on Patiala-Zarikpur road, but nothing objectionable was found. They were warned not to sell any rotten fruit and not use any sewerage water to wash fruits, said Dayalan.

Dayalan said, “The two crates of peach have been destroyed and two samples from the same have been taken for testing.”

DC said teams have also been directed to check whether farmers are using sewerage water to irrigate the fields. Orders have been issued to seize the pumping motor which is being used to pump out the water from underground sewerage.

TOI had highlighted roadside fruit vendors washing fruit with sewerage water in Zirakpur, after which many residents have been demanded strict action against such vendors. Such a malpractice by the consumers puts the health of consumers at a major risk, said a resident.

It has been observed that the fruit vendors have been siphoning out the sewerage water using pump from underground sewerage pipeline used for flowing out the residual water from the local sewerage treatment plant (STP) into Ghaggar river in Shatabgarh village.

This practice is believed to be not concentrated only to Zirakpur, but also to roadside vendors in Balongi and Mundi Kharar. The reports of washing fruits using waste water have also been received from the latter areas.