As the Kanwar Yatra begins on July 11, the Uttar Pradesh government has made QR code stickers mandatory for all eateries along the pilgrimage route, aiming to ensure food safety, hygiene, and real-time accountability for an estimated 4 crore devotees expected to participate this year.
Linked to the Food Safety CONNECT App, the stickers will display crucial details such as the owner’s name, address, FSSAI ID, and the menu. More importantly, it allows pilgrims and the public to rate food quality, leave feedback, and file complaints instantly, enhancing transparency across thousands of food stalls, from urban restaurants to roadside dhabas.
Health inspections are already underway, with over 45 kg of stale or rotten food seized and destroyed in major cities along the route. Only vegetarian food will be allowed, and FSSAI teams will monitor hygiene through random kitchen inspections.
While officials have emphasized that the move is strictly about public health and disease prevention during the monsoon season, traders have voiced opposition, calling it a digital version of last year’s controversial nameplate directive. Many are worried about religious profiling and added compliance burdens, despite assurances that the system does not collect religious identity data.
Beyond food regulation, the state has introduced tight security and logistical measures:
- Drone surveillance, traffic diversions, and dedicated Kanwar lanes
- An IPS officer deployed every 15 km
- Inter-state WhatsApp groups for real-time coordination
- Liquor shops to remain open but curtained, to prevent provocation
The initiative is part of a larger hygiene and disease control campaign running through July, targeting food-borne and water-borne illnesses often associated with large gatherings during monsoon.
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