Dec 11, 2012

Sale of unsafe water rampant

Rajahmundry: Sale of unsafe drinking water stored in plastic cans is becoming rampant posing various health hazards to the people who consume such water in East Godavari.
Several people are setting up ‘Charitable Trusts’ in the name of some Gods or persons and getting them registered under the AP Societies Registration Act.
They tap every available source of water from wells, tanks, water bodies and bore wells and pack it untreated into plastic cans and sell them to the consumers. They charge Rs 5 to Rs 10 for a 20-litre can.
Though the norms specify that the trusts should supply drinking water to the visitors who arrive at their premises, but they are delivering the water cans at the door steps of the consumers. There is a mushroom growth of such trusts in the district.
The organisers of these trusts are making easy money by selling untreated water stored in containers which are not properly cleaned.
Though the food control authorities are supposed to keep check on sale of food items including the packaged water at regular intervals, they are not doing so for a very long time.
The reason said to be that they are awaiting clearance from the higherups to inspect such trusts.
On the other hand, the district administration seems to be indifferent to the health of the people given the fact that several cases booked against the water plants supplying packaged drinking water between February and June, 2012, are still pending in the Joint Collector’s court. Cases dealing with sub-standard quality and mis-branded products of packaged drinking water are referred to the JC’s court and nearly eight such cases are pending.
Cases which cause health related problems due to consumption of adulterated water supplied by the manufacturer of packaged drinking water are to be presented before the concerned judicial first class magistrate court. More than six such cases are pending with higher-ups to get clearance to be presented before the JFM.
Nearly 40 ISI certified (Bureau of Indian Standards) water plants and about 70 non-BIS certified units are existing in the district.
For the last several months, the food control authorities are not collecting samples of any food items including packaged water. The commissionerate of food safety is learnt to have directed the local officials to be engaged in a special drive on routine jobs like inspection of mutton shops.

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