Latest news with #GautamBudhNagar
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Food Safety Raid In Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar: Expired, Low-Quality Food Found In Establishments
In a recent turn of events, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration launched a strict food‑safety crackdown. Violations were spotted in Dadri, Khurja, Surajpur, Rabupura, and several Noida sectors—including 16, 18, 58, and 130. This led the administration to impose a fine of Rs 64.6 lakhs. Inspectors carried out a surprise investigation in both rural and urban areas, leading to the findings. Restaurants, sweet shops, and eateries were all part of the sweep. The action follows similar drives before festivals like Holi and Navratri. Food business had to face penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act between the time frame of two months, April and May. Some of the common violations that were spotted included selling expired or low-quality food items, misbranding and deceptive labels. Some of the offenders were found selling biscuits, packaged products and below-standard dairy items that already surpassed the expiry dates. A few of the operators even violated mandatory safety protocols. Taking note of the situation, officials have now emphasised strict action against the businesses to uphold consumer protection. According to Sarvesh Mishra, Gautam Budh Nagar's second assistant commissioner of food, revealed that his team ensures that food products meet the quality and food standards. In a statement, he said, 'Our team regularly conducts inspections and sampling to ensure that food products sold in the district meet safety and quality standards. In these cases, after detailed investigation and laboratory analysis, legal proceedings were initiated as per the Food Safety and Standards Act. The court, after hearing the matters, has imposed penalties accordingly,' as quoted by Hindustan Times. In April, four food businesses were fined a total of Rs 90,000 under the Food Safety and Standards Act. In the following month, some individual vendors and firms faced a penalty amounting to Rs 63.7 lakhs combined. A packaged food organisation, located in Noida Sector 58, faced the harshest blow. They were imposed a fine of Rs 14 lakhs for misbranding butter‑cream rolls. Mangalesh Dubey, the Additional District Magistrate and the adjudicating officer tasked under the Food Safety Act, issued the penalty.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Inspection at ESIC hospital, medical stores in Noida, 9 medicines sampled
In a bid to ensure that medicines being sold in the district adhere to prescribed safety and quality standards, the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) conducted a surprise inspection at ESIC hospital in Section 24 and multiple medical facilities in Noida, said officials on Friday. Officials said all collected samples have been sent for testing. (Shutterstock) The inspections were carried out under the directives of the commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttar Pradesh, and district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar Manish Kumar Verma. During inspections, nine samples of several medicines were collected and sent for laboratory testing. Officials have stated that further action will be initiated based on the results of these tests. 'Five samples were collected from the ESIC hospital, and two each from a Jan Aushadhi Kendra and another from a medical store, both located in Sector 22. All collected samples have been sent for testing at the designated drug testing laboratory and further action will be initiated based on the results', said drug inspector, Jai Singh. Speaking about the ongoing efforts, the official emphasised that the campaign to monitor and ensure drug quality across the district is part of a wider initiative under the Food Safety and Drug Administration. 'The drive is aimed at making sure that all kinds of medicines being sold at medical stores across the district meet the prescribed standards and are safe for public use,' said Singh. He further added that similar inspections will continue in the coming days to prevent the sale of substandard or spurious drugs. Random checks will be intensified across private pharmacies, government-linked centers, and hospitals to uphold the integrity of drug quality in the district. Officials assured that if any irregularities are found in the samples upon lab analysis, strict regulatory action, including penalties and suspension of licenses, will be pursued as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Gautam Budh Nagar: Crackdown over food safety violations raises ₹64 lakh as fines
NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar administration's crackdown against food safety violations has led to slapping of fines worth ₹64.6 lakh in total after the authorities came across cases in localities like Dadri, Khurja, Surajpur, Rabupura, Sector 130, Sector 58, and even urban sectors of Noida like Sector 16 and Sector 18, officials said on Thursday. A total of 19 food business operators were penalised between April and May following violations under the Food Safety and Standards Act. The major violations included misbranding, misleading labelling, and sale of substandard or expired food items, such as biscuits, dairy products, and packaged snacks. Several businesses also failed to comply with mandatory food safety standards, they added. 'Our team regularly conducts inspections and sampling to ensure that food products sold in the district meet safety and quality standards. In these cases, after detailed investigation and laboratory analysis, legal proceedings were initiated as per the Food Safety and Standards Act. The court, after hearing the matters, has imposed penalties accordingly,' said Gautam Budh Nagar's assistant commissioner of food (second) Sarvesh Mishra. In April, four businesses were fined a total of ₹90,000 and in May 15 firms and individuals were penalised with fines totalling ₹63,70,000. The most significant fine of ₹14 lakh was imposed on a packaged food company in Sector 58, for misbranding related to butter cream rolls, officials said. The penalties were slapped by additional district magistrate (administration) Mangalesh Dubey, the adjudicating officer, under the Food Safety and Standards Act. A multinational beverage manufacturer faced a penalty of ₹6 lakh over lapses detected at their Surajpur Industrial Area facility. Similarly, a retail chain operating in Sector 16, was fined ₹25,000 for stocking misbranded food items. Another multinational dairy and packaged food firm was penalised ₹25,000 for non-compliance observed at its Dadri outlet. Officials said that several smaller and mid-level firms were penalised for serious lapses. Some of the samples dated back to 2018 and 2019, highlighting how long-pending enforcement actions are now being addressed through legal proceedings, they added.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Post Lucknow bus blaze: 47 buses seized, ₹30L fined in Noida
Noida The Gautam Budh Nagar Transport Department has seized 47 private passenger buses and issued challans totalling nearly ₹30 lakh to 35 of them for rules' violations, officials said on Monday. The step followed an Uttar Pradesh transport commissioner directive issued in the light of a Delhi-bound private sleeper bus, running without permit, catching fire on the outskirts of Lucknow on May 15, leaving five people dead. 'Following the directive, we formed a five-member team under the supervision of the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO - Enforcement) and conducted intensive checks on May 15, 16, and 17,' said Gautam Budh Nagar ARTO Siyaram Verma. 'We are currently conducting a drive against autos and will continue the drive against buses every month with a fortnight's gap, to prevent any untoward incidents,' the ARTO added. The transport department's investigation found that bus owners and operators were overloading their vehicles beyond the prescribed capacity. Such violations significantly increase the risk of accidents, officers said. 'All regional RTOs have been instructed to check buses in accordance with the Bus Body Code — a regulatory framework that lays down uniform technical guidelines for the design, construction, and approval of bus bodies built on chassis by authorised bus body builders,' said UP transport commissioner B N Singh, adding that permits will be cancelled if any bus is found violating the rules. 'ARTOs have been instructed to carry out thorough inspections during the fitness certification process. This includes verifying the Registration Certificate (RC), insurance documents, Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, road tax receipts, permit documents, chassis and engine number, engine performance, starting condition, exhaust emissions, and other parameters to ensure that buses meet safety and regulatory standards,' Singh added. Meanwhile, the investigation in the Lucknow bus incident revealed that an additional seat had been installed near the driver's cabin, blocking the main exit and making it difficult for passengers to escape. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit, and the bus's emergency exit failed to open during the blaze. According to Noida transport department data, there are nearly 5,000 private buses registered with the Transport Department, in addition to 1,900 school buses in the district.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Activists cry foul over water diversion from Dhanauri wetland for airport
NOIDA: Thousands of birds are at risk as Dhanauri wetland, a crucial habitat for migratory birds and the state bird of Uttar Pradesh, the Sarus crane, faces a severe water shortage, according to environmentalists. Activists alleged that the cause of the crisis is the diversion of a canal that previously supplied water to the wetland. The water supply disruption has been ongoing for almost a month, they alleged. The Gautam Budh Nagar (GB Nagar) forest department, however, has stepped in to mitigate the situation. It has created an artificial pond within the wetland to ensure the birds do not face a water scarcity. Department officials assured that the water issue will soon be resolved, with the divisional officer of the forest department stating that the disruption occurred after the Upper Ganga Canal's Dadri-Kalaunda water channel was cut off due to the airport's construction at Jewar. The 5.5-hectare wetland, which is part of a much larger catchment area, is home to nearly 198 bird species. This includes the Sarus crane, a symbol of Uttar Pradesh. The wetland, however, is now largely dry, forcing the birds to cope with harsh conditions. 'We noticed that suddenly the wetland is left with no water for birds. We were told that water supply is cut because of some diversion in the canal,' said Lucky Nagar, a birder and local resident of Dankaur. 'Today, this wetland wears a deserted look,' Nagar added, urging the forest department to find a permanent solution. Dhanauri wetland falls in the catchment area of the Noida airport, which is expected to become operational by May 2025. Environmentalists have long raised concerns over the wetland's protection. While the GB Nagar forest department and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) had pledged in 2018 to conserve the wetland, progress has been slow. Most of the wetland's land is privately owned by farmers, complicating conservation efforts. 'Had the department bought the land and protected it, this natural habitat would have been saved, and issues like water supply may not have cropped up,' said Pradeep Dahalia, an environmentalist and resident of Greater Noida. According to activists, the lack of action on land acquisition has left the wetland vulnerable to development pressures, as surrounding areas are slated for residential development. In January 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the UP government and the Ministry of Environment to identify and notify Dhanauri wetland as a protected area, but little progress has been made. PK Srivastava, the divisional officer of the GB Nagar forest department, emphasised that steps are being taken to restore the water supply. 'To address the water supply issue, we have made an artificial pond in Dhanauri wetland so that the birds do not face any drinking water issue. The water supply issue cropped up at Dhanauri because the water channel coming from Upper Ganga Canal got cut due to construction work for Noida airport. This issue will be resolved soon,' he said. Environmentalists continue to push for stronger protection measures. The marshland, spanning Dhanauri, Thasrana, Bhatta-Parsaul, and Amirpur Bangar villages, covers approximately 100 hectares. However, only 5.5 hectares fall under government ownership, and the rest are privately owned by farmers. 'We are looking into this issue to save it and will take required measures to protect it,' said Yeida chief executive officer (CEO) Arun Vir Singh.
