TO GO WITH Lifestyle-India-culture-food-safety,sched-FEATURE by Elizabeth Roche This picture taken 22 February, 2007 shows an Indian street food vendor preparing snacks at his road side stall in New Delhi. Cramped street corners choking with vendors selling piping hot tea, snacks or even full meals, cooked in questionable hygenic conditions have been a part and parcel of life in the Indian capital for decades. But all this is set to become a thing of the past if a February ruling by India's Supreme Court -- part of new hawking and squatting regulations for New Delhi that has a population of about 14 million people -- is implemented. In its ruling, the court asked Delhi's municipal authorities to clamp down on the vendors who freely roam the capital's streets offering a variety of mouth watering food from a venue of their choice. AFP PHOTO/Christophe ARCHAMBAULT (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)
In a citywide drive to improve food hygiene and safety standards, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed more than 1,000 establishments and issued over 3,100 notices between April 1 and June 30.
The extensive action, carried out under the Health Department’s Sub-Food Hygiene Raid initiative, covered all 12 MCD zones and generated a revenue of more than Rs 78 lakh through fines and penalties, according to the data.
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The civic body inspected a total of 5,040 food premises, including meat shops, dhabas, restaurants, juice corners, and sweet shops. Of these, 1,029 were found in violation of health or licensing norms and were sealed, the data stated.
Additionally, 3,107 notices were issued and 1,038 challans were generated for non-compliance with hygiene and safety regulations. The crackdown was particularly sharp in zones like the Central Zone (CZ), South Zone (SZ), and West Zone (WZ), which accounted for a significant number of inspections and subsequent actions.
The Central Zone alone inspected 840 establishments and sealed 237 units — the highest among all zones. It also issued 381 notices and filed 81 challans. In the West Zone, 640 properties were raided, 157 were sealed, and 193 notices were served, the data showed.
The South Zone carried out 561 inspections, sealed 151 properties, and issued 197 notices. The North Zone (NZ) and Rohini Zones (RNZ-1 and RNZ-2) also recorded a high number of actions, sealing over 60 shops each and serving multiple notices.
The drive focused heavily on unauthorised and unhygienic food establishments located in densely populated areas, especially near schools and religious places. Officials said the initiative aimed to curb foodborne illnesses and ensure safer eating practices for the public.
The financial impact of the crackdown was also significant. The MCD collected a total of Rs 78,70,124 in fines and penalties during the three-month period. This includes Rs 21,74,927 from property-related violations, Rs 21,74,927 from health challans, Rs 6,66,270 from food safety violations, and Rs 27,54,000 from sanitation-related penalties.
The highest revenue was generated in the West Zone (Rs18,29,020), followed by the South Zone and Central Zone.
Apart from sealing and penalising establishments, the MCD also took steps to identify repeat offenders, conducted follow-up checks, and coordinated with the Food Safety Department for further legal action where required.
The data was shared during the Standing Committee meeting held on Wednesday.
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