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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

BMC upgrades food and water testing lab

Mumbai: Keeping the health and safety concerns in mind, the BMC has now made its food and water testing laboratories more advanced. The result of the test will be given within 24 hours through email and WhatsApp. The test is also kept at a nominal price. The Municipal Analyst Laboratory located at the ‘G North’ Ward Office in Dadar tests more than 70,000 water and food samples every year. “Citizens and commercial establishments should avail the services of the Brihanmumbai Municipal...

BMC upgrades food and water testing lab

Mumbai: Keeping the health and safety concerns in mind, the BMC has now made its food and water testing laboratories more advanced. The result of the test will be given within 24 hours through email and WhatsApp. The test is also kept at a nominal price. The Municipal Analyst Laboratory located at the ‘G North’ Ward Office in Dadar tests more than 70,000 water and food samples every year. “Citizens and commercial establishments should avail the services of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Municipal Analyst Laboratory to check the quality of water and food,” said the Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare Verma. The Municipal Analyst Laboratory dates more than a century old as it was started in 1903 under the Public Health Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. In the last 10 years, more than seven lakh water and food samples have been tested at this laboratory. The BMC’s laboratory in Dadar is the only laboratory operated by the civic body for testing food and water samples. It regularly tests water sent by the BMC’s Water Supply Department. The laboratory is also used to inspect and check the quality of the midday meals provided to schools in Mumbai. Police stations also send certain prohibited items like supari, tobacco and scented tobacco to the laboratory. Around 70,000 tests are conducted every year in the laboratory. Railways such as the Western Railways, Central Railways and Konkan railways send food items and water samples to the Municipal Analyst Laboratory. Due to the use of advanced equipment and technology, this laboratory has been granted the status of a State Food Laboratory by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The BMC has undertaken a laboratory upgradation project to enable more detailed analysis and additional testing through the laboratory. The BMC ensures that the laboratory is always upgraded and makes sure there is more detailed and additional testing. Verma said, “From the perspective of citizens’ health, it is essential that both food and water are available in a quality manner. For this purpose, upgrading the laboratory is necessary for conducting more analytical and detailed tests. The objective is to ensure that a laboratory with international-level standards and testing capabilities remains continuously available for Mumbaikars.” She added, “Facilities for testing food and water are available at very nominal rates in the laboratory. Citizens, housing societies, food-selling establishments, and other commercial establishments should make extensive use of this facility so that the quality of the food and water available with them can be ensured.”

Bad Roads, Ugly Politics


The pathetic state of roads in Mumbai city as well as its suburbs has made daily commute a dangerous affair. The residents are miffed with the BMC over its lackadaisical attitude. Mumbaikars tweet photos, post videos to grab attention, but everything is in vain. Who cares for the common people. Backbreaking journeys have become part and parcel of life. Political leaders are busy mud-slinging.


This year the monsoon took a break after almost four and half months. During this time some of the roads virtually became non commutable. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde first announced to make Mumbai roads pothole free.


Its almost two years now the BMC has concretised only 9 percent of roads it planned to concretise. This decision was taken when it came to light that due to the properties of bitumen in asphalt roads, potholes are a regular occurrence due to contact with water during monsoons.


Hence, to solve the problem of potholes, the corporation has adopted a policy of cement concreting of 6-meter-wide roads in phases. The decision was taken but the dilly-dallying affair made things more difficult.


Mumbai’s traffic does put a lot of strain on roads which is not the case in the other developed countries. Second most important aspect is concretisation of roads is done partly and in phases.


The worst problem which is faced is repeated digging for cables and drainage, which weakens the roads. Above all corruption in BMC makes matters worse as a result everything comes to grinding halt.


According to experts, repairing potholes is a reaction with symptomatic treatment. By and large we are dispensing superficial treatment without addressing the root cause. The long-term solution will be to have roads with no potholes but what we need is the means and technology to achieve this. But for this political will is necessary which we lack on every step.


Mumbaikar’s are convience that corruption in the municipal corporation is the main reason. Contractors have had a monopoly over the last 20 years and this is the reason why reputed companies never come ahead for these projects.


As a result, in the name of attendance and repair, the BMC does shoddy work. Crores are spent but the end result is nothing. The BMC is not paying attention to the crust. If the crust is weak, potholes will see an increase. Without any thought or technical know-how, potholes are filled with cold mix.


This is the reason why the city and suburbs continue to have craters on the roads.


Craters, a serious threat to the safety and security of people. Mumbaikars fade up from their repeated visits to orthopedic surgeons.


They are in a mood to teach a proper lesson to those who were at the helm of the affairs.

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