Quality not guaranteed

Doctors warn of health risks.

With the demand shooting up, manufacturers, and dealers of packaged drinking water are unable supply the required quantity. There are complaints that some of them are supplying unprotected drinking water to customers.

There are 30 licensed packaged drinking water plants in the district. They process around four lakh litres of drinking water for distribution.

The inadequate drinking water supply by local bodies, and increase in demand because of summer, have forced manufacturers to run plants for additional hours. Even then they are unable to meet the demand of around eight lakh litres a day.

This gives the scope for scrupulous elements to resort to unethical practice by supplying unprotected drinking water to customers.

Many a time, the water carrying cans are found to be unclean, and the water unprocessed despite being charged between Rs. 25 and Rs. 30 for a 20-litre can.

“It is just plain water, and not purified,” said Murugan, a resident at Mittapudur.

Doctors warn of contracting diarrhoea, fever, and jaundice if untreated water is consumed without boiling.

The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 mandates that the drinking water be packed in clean, hygienic, colourless, and transparent containers made of polythene that conform to the standards. The package should contain the date of packing, maximum retail price, and details of the manufacturer.

T. Anuradha, District Designated Food Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department told The Hindu that complaints regarding poor quality of canned water were being received from the consumers. Samples of water would be tested. If found to be unsafe for consumption, action would be taken, she added.

Many packaged water suppliers say they are unable to meet the high demand