Chhattisgarh eatery staff wash utensils on bathroom floor, manager cites 'emergency'

A video showing utensils being washed inside a restroom at a popular sweet shop in Chhattisgrah's Korba has prompted a food safety department inspection, with officials issuing a notice to the establishment and ordering corrective measures.

The clip, recorded by a customer at New Delhi Sweets, showed utensils being cleaned inside the washroom area. The video later circulated on social media, raising concerns over hygiene practices at the outlet.

In the video, the customer recorded the bizarre scene as the staff worker sat on the bathroom floor, washing utensils.

While recording, he turned the camera towards a man who was an employee of the restaurant and questioned him about the practice.

“What is this? Why are the utensils being washed here?” the customer asked.

The man responded, “This is just an emergency situation, since the past 2-3 days.”

The customer then questioned whether the situation really justified washing utensils inside a bathroom, asking, “Will you wash your own utensils in the bathroom at home too?”

Meanwhile, food safety officers inspected the premises on Monday to examine the circumstances shown in the footage and assess the hygiene standards being followed at the outlet.

During the inspection, the restaurant told officials that the utensils seen in the video belonged to staff members, who had already eaten their meals and were washing the pressure cooker and other vessels.

The management also explained that the washing area was not properly organised and was being used because of issues with the external water supply. Officials said both versions were being considered as part of the ongoing investigation.

Restaurant manager Gyanendra Mishra said staff meals are brought from the main branch and heated in a pressure cooker before employees eat them at different times. He said the vessels are supposed to be returned to the main branch the following day, but the cleaning staff may wash them at the outlet when the external water supply is unavailable.

Food Safety Officer Sangharsh Mishra said the management had been instructed to rectify the washing area and comply with the required hygiene standards. A notice has also been issued over the concerns identified during the inspection, following which further legal action will be proposed to senior officials.

The department said the outlet may be required to temporarily halt business operations to carry out the necessary corrective work. It will only be allowed to reopen after a follow-up inspection confirms that the required improvements have been completed.- Ends