DDCA breaks silence after viral video of vendor pouring aerated drinks back into bottle sparks hygiene concerns

Here's what the DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma had to say about the viral video of a vendor pouring aerated drinks back into the bottle.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Thursday issued a clarification after a video went viral on social media, showing a vendor at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi pouring aerated drinks from a glass into a bottle. The small clip, which emerged after the T20 World Cup Group A match between Namibia and the Netherlands on February 10, sparked outrage on social media, with several netizens flagging hygiene issues. Just minutes before the start of the fixture between India and Namibia, the DDCA said that hygiene protocols were in place at all venues, and that the vendor was simply pouring the drink into the bottle as part of the waste-collection process.

Here's what the DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma had to say about the viral video (Screengrab - Instagram)

The said video from last week showed the staff at the venue collecting partially consumed soft drinks from used cups and pouring them back into the plastic bottles. The social media users then flagged the risk of contamination and infection at crowded venues.

The DDCA secretary, Ashok Sharma, on Thursday said that the body has taken notice of the viral video and assured fans that there was nothing to worry about.

“The DDCA has come across a video circulating on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that a vendor was seen pouring cold drinks back into bottles during a recent match. In this regard, it is clarified that pouring is undertaken by the authorised concessionaire for the stadium, in line with the event guidelines. The concessionaire was serving Coca-Cola products in accordance with the agreed commercial arrangements and operational standards,” DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said in an official statement.

“DDCA follows strict hygiene protocols at all venues. In the instance shown in the video, the vendor, while segregating wet and dry waste, poured the unused beverage back into the bottle prior to disposal as part of the waste collection process. The bottles were subsequently collected, segregated and processed in accordance with the venue’s waste management and recycling policy. It is reiterated that the bottles were disposed of responsibly in line with established environmental and operational guidelines,” the statement added.

Delhi hosting its second T20 World Cup match on Thursday

On Thursday (February 12), Delhi hosted its second T20 World Cup match, which pitted India against Namibia. Earlier, India had won its opening match of the tournament against the USA, while Namibia faced defeat at the hands of the Netherlands.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi will host four more matches, including three Group stage ties and one Super 8s clash.