Hyderabad: Milk is being adulterated on a wide scale in the city with the authorities turning a blind eye. Several gangs adulterate milk at the dairy level on the city’s outskirts.
They mix chemicals to produce synthetic milk. These chemicals have a negative impact on human health.
In Hyderabad city, the gangs are adopting a simpler method to cheat people. They add up to 50 per cent water to dilute milk supplied by branded dairies.
To mix water, the gangs only need a pair of scissors, polythene sachet packers, cones, water and empty milk sachets.
A Worker cuts open the pouch, pours milk into a container where it is mixed with water.
Cyberabad additional DCP (Crimes) B. Srinivas Reddy said, “These gangs skillfully cut the corner of milk sachets and take out the milk. They add an equal amount of water and seal the sachets with packing machines.”
These gangs select colonies where middle-class families reside or slum areas. People living in these locations generally are not too particular about the manufacturing and expiry dates printed on the milk sachets.
Hyderabad task force DCP B. Limba Reddy said, “Last year we arrested a gang that was making synthetic milk and the case was handed over to drug control officials.”
South and East Zone task force teams’ additional DCP N. Koti Reddy said that the police had been trying to contain food adulteration.
“Recently we nabbed ghee adulteration and illegal banana ripening gangs. If we get any leads about milk adulteration, we will conduct raids,” he said.
Cyberabad team arrests an offender
The Cyberabad Special Operations Team on Sunday apprehended a person for adulterating milk with water.
Malkajgiri SOT inspector N. Ch. Ranga Swamy said that D. Amrutha Lalu, 42, from Sainagar, Neredmet, a native of Maharashtra, had taken to milk adulteration for easy money.
“He procured empty sachets from tea vendors and hotels at Neredmet, adulterated fresh milk by mixing water up to 50 per cent and filled the empty sachets in the morning. He sold the adulterated milk sachets in colonies and slums,” he said.
Police seized a packing machine, 100 litres of milk, a plastic tub, a funnel and about 300 empty milk sachets. SOT police has handed over the accused along with the seized property for further action.
