Surat Municipal Corporation inspected 36 food stalls at four major garba venues on Wednesday as part of its food safety and hygiene drive during the Navratri festivities, collecting 18 samples for laboratory testing and issuing six notices to stall operators for hygiene lapses and other shortcomings.
The inspections were carried out by the SMC Food Department at Umiyadham Temple on A K Road, Otlo Navratri in Mota Varachha, Dayalji Party Plot at Majura Gate and Garba Global Village in Vesu. These venues are among the locations hosting public celebrations and temporary food stalls during the festival period.
The six notices were issued after officials identified hygiene-related lapses and other shortcomings at the inspected stalls. The report does not specify the individual violations, the names of the operators who received notices or the immediate corrective measures required from them.
The food samples collected during the inspections have been sent for laboratory testing. The available report does not provide details of the items sampled, the laboratory handling the tests or the expected date of the results. The findings will determine whether any of the samples fail the applicable food safety requirements, but no test results have been reported so far.
The inspections covered food sellers operating at venues in different parts of Surat, including A K Road, Mota Varachha, Majura Gate and Vesu. The geographic spread of the checks places temporary food operations at festival venues within the municipal food department’s enforcement activity during Navratri.
In a separate inspection, officials also checked the SMC-organised Food Festival 2026. Eight additional food samples were collected from stalls at that event for testing. The report does not state whether notices were issued at the food festival or whether officials identified any specific hygiene shortcomings there.
The combined inspections involved 44 food samples: 18 collected from stalls at the four garba venues and eight from the SMC-organised Food Festival 2026, according to the figures reported. The inspections and sampling provide an immediate account of municipal oversight, while the laboratory results remain pending.
For residents and visitors buying food at temporary festival stalls, the action means that the municipal food department has begun checking vendors and collecting samples at several high-footfall celebration venues. However, the available information does not establish the overall compliance level of the inspected stalls or whether further action will follow after the laboratory reports are received.
The SMC’s inspection drive is continuing during the Navratri festivities, with the collected samples and notices forming the next stage of the municipal food safety process. Further action, if any, will depend on the laboratory findings and the response of the stall operators who were served notices.
