We know that the food we eat every day on the streets of Dhaka is extremely harmful to health. A study by the Agricultural Research Council has also proved the point again. They tested about 150 food samples from at least 15 places in both the upscale and downscale areas of Dhaka and found that they contained deadly bacteria. With tolerable levels of 30 per grams, these foods contained more than 1,100 total coliforms and E. coli bacteria. These bacteria are the origin of various diseases like diarrhoea and cholera. But about 70 per cent people of Dhaka are eating these foods every day.
After the results of such a study are made public, the response is usually to remove food stalls arbitrarily. It is like chopping the head off to get rid of the headache. The chief executive officer of DCC South hinted that most of these stores are illegal and plans are underway to remove the stalls. There are no data on the exact number of people in the profession as there is no registration or approval system, but the number will not be below a few hundred thousand.
Removing the stalls means making millions more families jobless during this difficult time of pandemic. Apart from that, a large part of the floating people, especially low-income people, depend on this food as it is cheap and easily available. These people will be in danger if the shops are removed without alternative arrangements.
From the cultural point of view, this move will also be abhorrent. Culture is not only formed with art, literature, language. Food is also a very important element of culture. And one of the ever-changing elements of this food culture is street food. That is why food tourism is one of the most popular trends in tourism. Special tours are organised to highlight what special food is available in a particular place. Such tours include posh hotels as well as popular street food. Many tourists now want to come to Dhaka and eat mixed fruit pickles from the university area. So many countries take initiatives to keep them alive. Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China have separate arrangements for the sale of street food. There is supply of purified drinking water and regular quality control.
So measures should be remedial rather than preventive. It is important to look at why there are germs in food, and how to resolve the matter. Researchers say that water is the main source of bacteria in food. Bacteria also spread from the hands of sellers and buyers of food preparation and serving utensils. So if safe water supply can be ensured, many of these problems can be solved. Simple measures such as keeping food carts covered and forcing vendors to wear gloves can make street food much healthier.
Not only do we have to take action, we also have to bring them under registration and supervise them. It will be easier for the authorities to monitor the quality of the food if the traders are provided with particular space for installing the food carts. Vendors must also be provided with training in hygiene and other forms of relevant assistance .