KARACHI: Faisal Edhi, head of the country`s largest charity, inaugurated on Wednesday a renovated and improved KMC food lab in the presence of Mayor Wasim Akhtar and Moeed Anwer, chairman of the District Municipal Corporation, Karachi West.

The mayor said officials of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had requested the head of the Edhi Foundation to cut the ribbon and thanked him for turning up at the event.

Later talking to journalists, Mr Akhtar warned the food adulterators to refrain from `illegal and unethical` practices or face stern action.

He said inspectors of the food laboratory would not discriminate against individuals and organisations while checking food samples. `No one will be spared whether one runs a small shop or a fivestar hotel.

The mayor regretted that food adulteration had ruined the citizens` health, but no one was there to question it. He said actionagainst gutka manufacturers would continue. `We are committed to closing down this business in the city.

Mr Akhtar said the laboratory was in a pathetic condition when he took over as all equipment and machinery were out of order and there was nothing lef t to be used for testing of food samples.

`The officers and food inspectors were taking bribes. we caught them off guard, transferred them from here and appropriate action is being taken against them.

In reply to a question about traffic management during Ramazan, he said a standard operating procedure had been prepared under which KMC`s city wardens would perform duty alongside the traffic police on the streets.

He asked the Sindh government to cancel all NOCs allowing construction of skyscrapers because the city`s infrastructure was not good enough to withstand such huge buildings.

Mr Edhi expressed concern over the use of harmful chemicals in food items and said these were causing immense damage to the health of people.