FDA shuts illegal water bottling plant

PANAJI: The food and drugs administration (FDA) on Monday shut down another packaged drinking water bottling plant for operating without licence and in unhygienic conditions. The plant, Mount Spring, in Parra, was operating from a structure made of cement sheets and iron grills and erected behind a residential house, said FDAdirector Jyoti Sardesai.

“Well water was used to manually fill 20-litre jars, in total non-compliance of the requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” Sardesai said. The water was being supplied to hotels, shacks, caterers, offices and shops including banks, FDA officials said.

According to the FDA, the bottling plant was being operated by Suraj Xetgaokar and Amtesh Sawant. Sardesai said the FDA team of Rajaram Patil, Shivdas Naik, Atul Desai and Shruti Pilernekar inspected the facility before shutting it down.