Food Safety dept warns packaged water firms

The Food Safety department has brought packaged drinking water companies under its scanner and warned that stern action would be taken against them if the water is found to be unsafe.

“Unsafe drinking water will result in diseases such as cholera, typhoid, amoebiasis, diarrhoea and E coli infections. If unsafe drinking water is found, the public can contact the Food Safety officials through WhatsApp on 9444042322 or send mail to unavupukar@gmail.com,” the department said in a press statement. According to the release, packaged drinking water should have PH of 6 to 8.5, total dissolved solids measuring 500 mg/litre, turbidity of 2 NTU, calcium 20 to 75 mg/litre, magnesium 10 to 30 mg/litre, sodium 200 mg/litre, chloride 200 ml/litre, total pest residue of not more than 0.005 mg/litre. Also, there should be no trace of microbes such as coliform bacteria, faecal streptococci, yeast, mould, salmonella and shigella, vibrio cholera.

The 20 litre cans should be cleaned thoroughly and proper stickers should be present on them. All drinking water plants should have obtained certificate from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The warning was issued after a recent test of 1,640 water samples revealed that only 694 of them were safe for consumption, while 527 were found unsafe. The remaining 419 had either deficiencies or did not have proper packaging. Following this, 173 cases were filed against plants and fines amounting Rs 12.84 lakh were collected.

Similarly, 334 cases were filed against plants manufacturing water bottles without proper packaging and fines amounting Rs 39.69 lakh were collected.