Uttarakhand launches statewide crackdown on food adulteration

The Uttarakhand government, under the direction of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has launched a statewide crackdown on food adulteration, hoarding, and the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders. The intensified enforcement campaign is scheduled to run for one week across all districts to prepare for the upcoming festive season, which includes celebrations such as Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Navratri, and Diwali.

Divisional commissioners are overseeing the process, while district magistrates are tasked with conducting the inspections. Administrative teams and Food Safety and Drugs Administration officials have been conducting raids on various business establishments to collect food samples for laboratory testing. In several instances, officials have destroyed expired, spoiled, or substandard food items on-site.

Specific enforcement actions have been reported across multiple districts. In Dehradun, 70 establishments have been inspected since August 1, with 48 samples collected. Haridwar has seen 47 inspections, while Nainital reported the destruction of 10 kg of substandard sweets. Other active inspection sites include Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Pauri, Tehri, and Uttarkashi. Authorities are also monitoring the hoarding of essential commodities, specifically sugar.