Health wing shuts down hotels in Pandalam after finding chicken washed in closet, unsafe gas storage
Officials said the situation in the two buildings posed serious health and safety risks
Officials said the situation in the two buildings posed serious health and safety risks
Officials said the situation in the two buildings posed serious health and safety risks
Pathanamthitta: The health wing of the Pandalam municipality has issued notices and imposed fines on a cluster of unlicensed hotels run by migrant workers for operating in highly unhygienic conditions. Each unit, operating from a building near Kadakkad Family Health Centre in Pandalam, has been fined ₹10,000.
The hotels were shut down during a joint inspection by the health and food safety departments about ten days ago. However, officials found that the operators had quietly reopened in the evenings, evading scrutiny. The outlets at the Thonnalloor Sabu building were run by West Bengal natives Thajmira Khathun, SK Sukumar and Deluwar Hussain.
During the latest inspection, officials found employees washing chicken inside a European closet in the bathroom using a strainer. Cooking was carried out behind a damp, mouldy curtain, and both the kitchen and serving areas were found to be in filthy condition. A strong stench greeted the team as soon as they entered the premises. Stale chicken and other contaminated food materials were also seized.
Officials said the situation in the two buildings posed serious health and safety risks. The verandas, rooms and surroundings were littered with waste, and the toilets were extremely unclean. Wastewater was being dumped behind the structure, flowing through a narrow drain into a nearby paddy field.
Around ten commercial LPG cylinders were found stacked without any safety precautions. Families, including women and young children, also live in the building. Authorities said that a fire outbreak would make rescue operations nearly impossible in the current condition.
Cases have been registered against the building owners under relevant provisions, officials added.
The enforcement team included municipal health supervisor SL Zone Sundar, public health inspectors Sujitha S Pillai and Amal P Nair, and police personnel led by SI R Manoj Kumar. Medical officer Dr R Harikumar and health inspector Raziya Begum also joined the operation.