Cholera spread: Nepal bans street food in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: In a bid to curb the spread of cholera in the capital, Nepal has banned the sale of street food in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to ban the sale of street food items following reports of 12 cholera-positive cases in the area since Sunday.

Balram Tripathi, the Chief of the Health Department of the metropolis said, "As the number of cholera patients has been increasing in Kathmandu at present, the sale and distribution of food items have been banned for the time being".

KMC has warned that action will be taken against those who violate the directive. Last week, the Lalitpur Metropolitan City decided to stop the sale and distribution of Panipuri, alleging the presence of cholera bacteria in the water used in Panipuri.

KMC has requested the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control to check the quality of food hygiene in hotels and restaurants across the city.

Tripathi said he had asked Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited to monitor the condition of the water pipeline and sewage system. KMC has directed urban health centres to address the shortage of oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets.

Cholera is a bacterial disease that usually spreads through contaminated water and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. If left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in those who were previously healthy.

With PTI inputs