Kataka health department raids gupchup vendors ahead of Bali Jatra

Kataka, Nov 13: Ahead of the much-awaited Bali Jatra festival, the health department of the Kataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) has launched a special drive against gupchup vendors over food hygiene concerns.

During the enforcement drive, health officials raided more than 20 vendors at three locations across the city. The team reportedly found gupchup being prepared in unhygienic conditions and destroyed the food to prevent its sale and consumption.

The action led to heated exchanges between some vendors and the health department team after officials seized the prepared gupchup.

The inspection comes ahead of Bali Jatra, one of Odisha's biggest annual festivals, which attracts lakhs of visitors from across the state and beyond. With preparations underway for the upcoming fair, authorities are stepping up efforts to ensure food safety and maintain hygiene at public places.

The annual festival is scheduled to begin on November 24, with extensive preparations underway across the upper and lower fairgrounds along the Mahanadi riverbank.

The Kataka district administration and KMC are also accelerating infrastructure work, including electrification, road development, stall allocation and crowd management.

With a massive footfall expected during the festival, food safety inspections are likely to remain a priority for civic authorities to protect visitors from unhygienic food and potential health risks.