NCDC will ban open fire cooking and the selling of home bottled drinks in public places for health reasons. City Manager Ravu Frank made this known in a public notice which effectively gives notice of the ban after 30 days of awareness. “We are placing a ban on these activities in high consideration of the health of the city residents. “Some people may consider these activities for their convenience but the bottom line is they are doing more harm than good for their fellow residents and in the process violating the Public Health (Sanitation & General) Regulation, the Food Sanitation Regulation, the Informal Sector Development and Control Act and other relevant legislation which the NCDC is obliged to apply as the municipal authority and the designated local health authority,” Mr. Frank explained. The handling and processing of the goods involved in these activities has raised public concern on the unhygienic manner in which the items are prepared for human consumption and NCDC as a regulating body has taken on board the relevant concerns to ban these activities in public places. “We consider open fire cooking in public places and the selling of home bottled drinks as public health risks considering the questionable manner involved with the processing of food and drinks and the environment they proceed from. “So to avoid serious health issues, we considered banning these activities in public places as a viable solution to protect the health of the city residents and in the best interest of public health,” the City Manager said. The move to ban these activities is within the powers of NCDC as the designated health authority and in accordance with its enforcement powers of the legislation concerning public health and the food and sanitation regulation. A video that went viral on social media capturing a couple washing publicly disposed plastic containers in contaminated water purportedly to fetch water for sale has proved the unhygienic nature of these activities and has further prompted the need for the ban. Mr. Frank is seeking public co-operation and support in these circumstances and urges city residents to understand the importance of their health over other considerations. At the lapse of the 30 days awareness period NCDC enforcement officers or agents will not hesitate to physically remove offending persons within public places including bus stops and traffic intersections including the confiscation of their goods.