Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo.

  • Colombo (Sri Lanka). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health / Municipality of Colombo. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/124 (page 36)
    XIX.—Markets. No new Municipal markets were erected last year. The sanctioned market for the Dematagoda-Kolonnawa area is under construction and will be opened to the public about the middle of the current year. This will bring the number of Municipal markets up to 14. XX.—Dairies. Number at beginning of the year ... ... 56 New dairies registered ... ... 3 Total at end of year ... ... ... 59 Out of the 59 dairies 41 were involved in prosecutions for adulteration and 38 for other offences. (43) Number of Convictions, 1930. Offence. Selling adultreated milk Selling milk deficient in fat ... Keeping cattle in excess of number licensed Keeping dairy filthy Total XXI.—Bakeries Number at beginning of year Number discontinued Number at end of year Out of the 52 bakeries 16 were involved in prosecutions. No. of Convictions, No. of Convictions, 1929. 1930. 101 113 6 59 19 21 46 19 ... 172 212 54 2 52 Number of Convictions, 1930. No. of Convictions, 1929. Unclean bakery ... 31 Unclean workmen ... 14 Offence, No. of Convictions, 1930. 13 7 Total 45 20 The bakery by-laws which were proclaimed in November, 1929, were further amended and modified and passed into law in August, 1930. These by-laws are now being enforced in full in respect of all new bakeries and in a modified form in respect of the old bakeries. XXII.—Eating-houses and Tea Shops. As a concession to the strong opposition raised by those affected the by-laws passed in October, 1928, were modified and amended and passed into law in November, 1929, but even these modified by-laws were received with such antagonism that they had to be still further relaxed. From the public health point of view the regrettable aspect of it is that all the tea shops which deal in comestibles other than cooked rice have been exempted from the operation of these by-laws. As I have frequently pointed out these tea shops, for all practical purposes, are eating- houses and unless they are brought under control and supervision the wholesomeness and cleanliness of the public food supply cannot be ensured. The new by-laws were proclaimed in August, 1930, but as time was allowed for compliance with its terms the majority of the eating-houses escaped registration last year. XXIII.—Laundries. (a) Public Laundries. No new laundries were constructed during the year. The preliminary work of providing housing in connection with the sanctioned laundry for New Bazaar is going on and the laundry itself will probably be ready by the end of 1931. (b) Private Lau7idri.es. Number at beginning of year ... ... ... 284 Number discontinued ... ... ... 8 Number of new registrations .. ... ... 22 Number at end of year ... ... ... 298 XXIV.—Lavatories. (a) Public Lavatories. One new public lavatory was constructed and opened to the public at Darley road, bringing the total number of public lavatories up to 69. The sites for three new ones in New Bazaar Ward are under consideration. The lavatory at Galle Face has not materialized yet owing to the difficulty of finding a site acceptable both to the Municipality and the Colonial Military authorities in whom is vested the Galle Face esplanade. (5) Private Lavatories. Owing to the present financial situation of the country enforcement of drainage connections has been temporarily stopped and all work in this connection is now entirely voluntary. During the year 902 pail latrines were abolished and 2,275 new water closets installed. The total number of premises drained at end of 1930 was 9,169, as against 7,772 at the end of 1929.