BENGALURU: The High Court on Wednesday pulled up Health and Family Welfare Commissioner P S Vastrad for inaction against packaged drinking water units operating without Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification. The court was hearing a contempt petition filed against the commissioner.
A division bench of Justices N K Patil and G Narendar expressed concern over the impact of illegal packaged drinking water on people’s health.
The bench told Vastrad, “You are not talking about the measures taken to prosecute the people running illegal units. Illegal manufacturing can be stopped if you punish the accused.”
The bench further observed that the commissioner was talking about the proposal to constitute a task force to check illegal manufacturing units but had not taken any decision in the interest of public health. “You must take stringent steps. Moreover, why are you waiting for the constitution of a task force to take action?” the bench asked Vastrad.
The bench gave four weeks’ time to Vastrad, as against the eight weeks sought by the additional advocate general, to give details of the action taken in the matter.
Earlier, Vastrad, who appeared before the court with other officials, informed that he had held two meetings on February 9 and 10 to constitute a task force headed by the deputy commissioner, executive engineer, rural water supply officials, geology officials and local city corporation to regulate the activities of water packaging units.
“Recently, we closed nine such units in Bengaluru, but they are starting other activities in the same units,” he said.
The PIL was filed by Lochamesh B Hugar of Praja Andolana Grahakara Horata, Hubballi. While disposing of the PIL on November 9, 2012, the High Court had directed the health commissioner to take action against illegal packaged drinking water units and to ensure that they have a permit under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the BIS Act, 1986.
But as it was not complied with, advocate Pruthvi Wodeyar, representing the petitioner, filed a contempt petition on April 2013. In response, Vastrad recently filed an affidavit.
Vastrad explained that though illegal packaging units had been closed across the state, some of the owners started other activities within the units.
He admitted this after advocate Wodeyar submitted details of electricity bills between October 23, 2011, and October 23, 2014, of the illegal units that were running even after being closed. The details were obtained under the RTI Act.
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