THE success of bottled water is a miracle of aggressive marketing that has made us believe in the safety of bottled water. Several studies have been conducted internationally to ascertain their supremacy over tap water under different criteria of purity and safety, yet the riddle continues to perplex. Traditionally, mineral water sold under all sorts of brands is obtained either from the purest of sources like natural springs or spas. For this category of mineral water, bottlers cannot make any changes in its composition, or even chlorinate it. The cheaper variety, sold mostly at dhabas, bus stands etc., is usually obtained from underground reservoirs.
This is where the problem brews. With depleting natural springs and rising demand for bottled drinking water, it is the latter variety that is in wider circulation and where pollutants are found, which also include a high level of chemicals used in the purification process. After receiving complaints, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the food regulators, including the Food Safety and Standards Association, to check the bottling plants supplying such drinking water and also collect water samples from the water collection sites to ascertain not only the quantity but also the source of pollutants.
Yet the news about the suspected contamination of bottled water has failed to surprise consumers, who feel that they are always shortchanged because of poor quality control and an ineffective vigilance authority. In a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in Delhi in 2000-2001, coliform bacteria were found in all the five brands that were tested. An earlier study, conducted by the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society found bacteria in all the 13 brands tested. Manufacturers will always claim that their products comply with the standards laid down, but it is for the regulatory bodies to ensure the standards for a basic need like drinking water are adhered to.
This is where the problem brews. With depleting natural springs and rising demand for bottled drinking water, it is the latter variety that is in wider circulation and where pollutants are found, which also include a high level of chemicals used in the purification process. After receiving complaints, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the food regulators, including the Food Safety and Standards Association, to check the bottling plants supplying such drinking water and also collect water samples from the water collection sites to ascertain not only the quantity but also the source of pollutants.
Yet the news about the suspected contamination of bottled water has failed to surprise consumers, who feel that they are always shortchanged because of poor quality control and an ineffective vigilance authority. In a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in Delhi in 2000-2001, coliform bacteria were found in all the five brands that were tested. An earlier study, conducted by the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society found bacteria in all the 13 brands tested. Manufacturers will always claim that their products comply with the standards laid down, but it is for the regulatory bodies to ensure the standards for a basic need like drinking water are adhered to.
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