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8 eateries in Ras Al Khaimah caught flouting rules

Four restaurants fined for violating health specifications; street water dispensers found unclean.

The RAK Municipality, intensifying inspection raids against erring food institutions, has caught eight outlets for flouting rules and regulations.

A senior official said municipal inspectors have imposed hefty fines on four restaurants for violating health specifications.

Mubarak Al Shamsi, Chairman of the RAK Municipality, said a patisserie plant was also fined for selling unfit and expired products which were seized and destroyed.

“Three cafeterias were fined as well for failing to observe hygiene and keeping the place clean.”

Khalifa Mohammed Al Maktoum, Manager of the Health and Environment Department at the municipality, explained that the restaurants fined had defrosted frozen meats in an improper way.

“The eatery where the food used to be prepared was also unclean, and some insects were found in the food storage area. The the patisserie factory was fined for selling expired sweets.”

Meanwhile, the RAK Municipality has begun an extensive campaign to list and examine the status of all the charity water coolers and dispensers distributed across the internal roads of the emirate by the public.

“We have received several complaints about the purity of the water and the filters which were not installed properly,” Al Shamsi said.

As many as 25 street water dispensers were found in Al Dheit area alone and they pose a risk to public health, and need thorough maintenance and service on a regular basis, he added.

Maktoum said the municipality has collected all the details about these street coolers. “Our inspectors have identified their numbers, areas, owners, and water suppliers.” The RAK Municipality shall order the owners of these water coolers to carry out due maintenance and change filters on a regular basis. The water suppliers will be responsible, he said.

While 25 street water dispensers have been spotted at Al Dheit area, the details of the remaining coolers across the emirate shall be collected within this month, he noted.

An Emirati, Mohammed Salem, said most of the water dispensers in the emirate were not maintained and that they could be a source of infectious diseases.

“The RAK Municipality needs to pay more attention to these dispensers to protect people’s health since impurities, algae, and remains can be seen at the bottom of these water dispensers.”

The water desalination stations here have said they have no problem to clean the water dispensers, but as part of the agreement to be concluded with the philanthropists concerned, or by anyone else.

“We are only paid to provide pure drinking water to these dispensers, and have nothing to do with their cleaning or power supplies,” they said.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com