Milk testing hindered

KOCHI: Even as the dairy development department has intensified its week-long quality control drive from Thursday in view of the increased flow of milk from neighbouring states during the Onam, the move may have little impact in the city as the mobile quality control lab has gone faulty.As the analyser unit which detects adulterants in milk is not working, the mobile unit is of no use. Instead of giving on-the-spot results, the authorities are collecting samples and taking them to the quality control test lab at the diary development department in Kakkanad.Though the dairy development department authorities said that they would get the machine repaired it would take time. “We are waiting for the equipment to be fixed in the mobile quality control lab and we hope to do it within two months,” said V Unni, deputy director, diary development department in Kakkanad.But as the Onam is round the corner and the demand for milk in the city would increase, the delay in repairing the machine would affect the quality control testing of milk. Most of the equipment were purchased from  Bulgaria, Russia and Germany. The district panchayat had granted Rs 1 lakh for the purpose, but so far no steps have been taken to fix the equipment worth Rs 3 lakh.Sources with the diary department said that the quality control lab is of immense use as the authorities were able to give farmers better prices.The machines were actually fixed to a vehicle which would go and collect samples from milk procurement centres. But the mobile quality control labs in Palakkad and Kumili are fully functional.