Chennai:
Water tankers are revving up as a severe summer awaitsChennaiwhich
received less than half the expected monsoon rain.TOIhas found that none
of the 2,000-odd private water tankers crisscrossing the city has the
mandatory certification from the food safety department.
Neither do peoplewhobuy ‘drinking water’ from these tankers know about the food safety certificate nor do the tanker owners care to get the licence under the Food Safety Standards Act. Officials said that all private drinking water tankers should have a food business operator (FBO) licence under the Food Safety and Standards(Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011. It is also a must for the tankers to be certified for hygiene. The water quality has to be tested every six months at recognised laboratories.
Many residents said they are forced to depend on these private tankers because of poor supply by Metrowater. Chennai Metrowater Tankers Association president N Nijam Lingam said he, and many others, were not aware of the licence system. “If there is such a law, we will abide by it,” he said.
District food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayan said the department was trying to spread awareness among water tanker owners and buyers of tanker water. “We will tell tanker operators to ensure quality of drinking water which should be collected only from licensed sources,” he said.
Private tanker operators supply water to apartment complexes, hospitals and hotels among other establishments. Complaints have been pouring in that most of these tankers draw water from borewells and open tanks without any purification. “Drinking water samples should have a minimum chlorine level of 0.2 parts per million (ppm), but water sourced from borewells and open wells rarely meets the standard,” said an officer.
It is also a concern that the vehicles used to transport water were earlier used to ferry oil. Officials said all drinking water tankers should be certified to carry drinking water.
The inside of the water tanker lorries should also be coated with a material to prevent water contamination. “If the water is being used for other purposes, they should mention it as ‘not for drinking’.
Meanwhile, hundreds of packaged drinking water units also flourish in and aroundthecity,butonly 89 are registered with the department.A Shakespeare, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association said the organisation is trying to spread awareness among packagers.
Neither do peoplewhobuy ‘drinking water’ from these tankers know about the food safety certificate nor do the tanker owners care to get the licence under the Food Safety Standards Act. Officials said that all private drinking water tankers should have a food business operator (FBO) licence under the Food Safety and Standards(Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011. It is also a must for the tankers to be certified for hygiene. The water quality has to be tested every six months at recognised laboratories.
Many residents said they are forced to depend on these private tankers because of poor supply by Metrowater. Chennai Metrowater Tankers Association president N Nijam Lingam said he, and many others, were not aware of the licence system. “If there is such a law, we will abide by it,” he said.
District food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayan said the department was trying to spread awareness among water tanker owners and buyers of tanker water. “We will tell tanker operators to ensure quality of drinking water which should be collected only from licensed sources,” he said.
Private tanker operators supply water to apartment complexes, hospitals and hotels among other establishments. Complaints have been pouring in that most of these tankers draw water from borewells and open tanks without any purification. “Drinking water samples should have a minimum chlorine level of 0.2 parts per million (ppm), but water sourced from borewells and open wells rarely meets the standard,” said an officer.
It is also a concern that the vehicles used to transport water were earlier used to ferry oil. Officials said all drinking water tankers should be certified to carry drinking water.
The inside of the water tanker lorries should also be coated with a material to prevent water contamination. “If the water is being used for other purposes, they should mention it as ‘not for drinking’.
Meanwhile, hundreds of packaged drinking water units also flourish in and aroundthecity,butonly 89 are registered with the department.A Shakespeare, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association said the organisation is trying to spread awareness among packagers.
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