A majority of drinking water packaging firms operate without licence in Bathinda.
Bathinda, December 26
A number of water packaging units here are operating without obtaining FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) licence from the Health Department in the district. In the absence of any check by the authorities, there are chances that the packaged water you are buying may not be safe for drinking.
The data procured from the District Health Department revealed that only five water packaging units obtained FSSAI licence (mandatory to supply safe drinking water).
Kashmira Hygienic at Gobindpura, True Indra at Bibi Wala village, Osnowa at Gill Pati, Oxyfresh on Mansa Road and MD Drinking Water Company at Paras Ram Nagar are the units that have obtained the licence.
Owing to the apathetic attitude of the Health Department, nearly 36 water packaging units (most of which are on the outskirts of the city) operating in the district are functioning without obtaining FSSAI licence.
Four units in Rama Mandi, three in Talwandi Sabo, two each in Sangat Mandi and Rampura Phul, three each in Bhucho Mandi and Maur and one each in Kot Shamir and Goniana Mandi have been functioning for a couple of years.
Twelve water packaging units operating from different locations in the city are functioning without obtaining FSSAI licence and around 24 such units are operating on the outskirts.
Though the matter was highlighted in these columns around 10 months ago, the Health Department did not take any concrete steps to ensure that maximum water packaging units acquire licence. Even the Health Department has not issued challans to firms violating food safety norms.
Dr Ashok Monga said, “No new water packaging firm has applied for/received licence in the district recently. We carry out random checking but have not issued any challans so far. If there is any specific complaint, we will ensure appropriate action.”
Dr Monga added, “Our staff is deployed on election duties for now. We will check and identify water packaging firms that have not obtained FSSAI licence and take action against them.”
A senior functionary of the Health Department on condition of anonymity said it raised a serious question over the functioning of the Health Department or their “tacit approval” to such firms.
He said around five to seven years ago, there were a handful of water packaging firms (without FSSAI licence) operating in the district, but due to “tacit approval” accorded by officials concerned these units had now mushroomed in the district now.
“As Bathinda and other neigbouring districts of the Malwa region have already earned notoriety of being cancer belt owing to the presence of heavy metals in the groundwater, the Health Department’s failure to tighten the noose around illegal water suppliers may cause serious problems in the long run,” warned a medical oncologist of a private hospital.
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