Supply of unsafe water high in EG

Supply of unsafe packaged drinking water has become rampant in East Godavari, given the fact that food control authorities booked nine cases out of 21 water samples lifted in the last two months.

Supply of unsafe packaged drinking water has become rampant in East Godavari, given the fact that food control authorities booked nine cases out of 21 water samples lifted in the last two months.

As day temperatures are soaring, more travellers depend upon packaged drinking water sachets or bottles. This has become handy for unscrupulous elements to set up water plants without authorisation and release packaged water into the market.
Food control authorities maintain that out of the 21 water samples collected and sent for analysis recently, they received results for only a few samples from the state food laboratory located in Hyderabad.
Of the nine cases booked as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations, 2011, food control authorities found that several water plants were set up without obtaining the mandatory certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The authorities also appealed to the general public to purchase packaged drinking water sachets or bottles only after verifying BIS certification and details related to date of manufacture and also address of the manufacturer to ensure that they do not drink unsafe water.
They are also going to raid hotels, restaurants, food joints and roadside eateries to lift samples and send them for analysis to ensure that people do not eat unsafe food.
They maintain that for minor offences, cases will be taken up by the joint collector who serves as an adjudicating officer and in case, there is grave violation of food safety norms, the food business operator will be booked and cases will be filed in the court where penalty will be imposed and also imprisonment, depending upon the severity of the offence.