VEHARI, June 12: The health department and the district administration have failed to check the mushroom growth of factories that use substandard and harmful material to prepare cold drinks and ice cream.

Most of these factories are using registered brand names of multinational companies for their substandard products.

A survey revealed that over 400 such factories were operating in the Peoples Colony, Daniwal, Muslim Town, Bus Stand, College Town, Club Road, Masani Bagh, Seed Farm, Multan Road, Old Bus Stand, 9-11/WB, Anwarabad, Pakhi More, Machiwal, Sharqi Colony, Rail Bazaar, Madina Colony, Pir Murad and Pipli Adda areas.

Cold drinks and kulfi are prepared in these factories using spurious colours and preservatives. The health department recently sealed some of these factories in the Burewala area, all of which restarted their operations three or four days later.

A cold drinks factory owner at the Old Bus Stand alleged that local health officials had been receiving Rs1,000 to 1,500 a month from each factory owner.

Another factory owner told this reporter that he prepared fake copies of some registered brand products at night, and supplied them to shops and restaurants. Some factory owners were caught redhanded while preparing fake products of multinationals, but the health department did not take action against them.

A few days ago, residents of Pir Murad suffered from dysentery after consuming products of such factories at Muslim Town and 9-11/WB.

When this correspondent contacted EDO (health) Dr Pervaz Haider, the latter said that the health department could not take action against these factories without written complaints.

The affected residents have urged the authorities to take action against the factories selling substandard drinks and ice cream.