The shattering case of food wastage in Vizag

Food wastage has been one of the major problems that have pestered our society for times immemorial. On the one hand, there are millions of destitute individuals for whom earning a single meal is next to impossible and on the other, there are innumerable instances where large surplus quantities of food are thrown to waste. Surveys suggest that close to 40% of food in India goes straight into the bins. Visakhapatnam too is no exception to this unfortunate fact and as per a recent report in Eenadu, the numbers revealed are staggering.

The report says that close to 24,000 kilograms of rice are being wasted on a daily basis in Visakhapatnam. This quantity, the report claims, is sufficient to feed around 1.90 lakh people for one meal. The numbers have been arrived at after taking into consideration the estimated wastage in all the households, restaurants, hotels, catering centres, etc. in the city. In addition, public gatherings and family get-togethers too contribute a major share to the amount of food being wasted.

Five years ago, it was reported that food wasted at marriage functions in Bengaluru alone is worth Rs 200 crore. A survey also revealed that Indians waste as much food as the whole of United Kingdom consumes.

While the recent past has seen the advent of multiple organisations and groups coming forward, there exist certain basic measures that need to be followed by each individual to reduce the amount of food going to waste.

Cooking and utilizing food as per one’s requirement is the basic step that needs to be followed, the volunteers of these groups say. They also suggest packaging leftovers from the restaurants and handing them over to those in need. Seeking the help of such NGOs and groups, ensuring that food is used effectively, is another wise practice that one could follow.

Visakhapatnam, a city that is hailed to be one of the cleanest and most efficient ones in the country, can certainly lead the way in terms of mitigating the food wastage too.