Allegations Against the Bottled Water Business: Traders to Protest

KOCHI:
The moves to collapse bottled water business will be resisted at any cost, says Kerala Packaged Drinking Water Manufactures Association (KPDA).
The news spreading in the social media as in the name of Food Safety Commissioner is fake and illegal. The allegations are against years old leading companies like Green valley, Golden valley, Blue Iris, Basic, Aqua sair, Mount mist, Brisol, Macdowels and Diplomat. Food Safety authority has neither detected these products contaminated nor they have confirmed the presence of Coliform bacteria in it. This has been certified by the Food Safety Authority to each company.
The quality of bottled water all over the country is being ensured by the ISI mark. The companies delivering drinking water filled in bottles strictly follow all the guidelines given by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). “The authorities will definitely make sure that the each bottle of drinking water before entering the market are subjected to chlorination, sand filtration, purification, activated carbon filtration, de-chlorination, reverse osmosis, micro filter, ultraviolet rays and ozonisation”, said R.C Mathew, retired director, BIS.
“The quality standards and production process being same for all brands including foreign and regional brands, raising allegations against particular brands are doubtful.”, said Rajeev Menon, president, KPDA. Even though the water sources in Kerala are better than other states, the water in our wells contains millions of Coliform bacteria. This proves the importance of ISI certified packaged drinking water. The users may sometimes wash the dispensers of 20 liter jars with hands causing bacteria to grow in it. This further makes the distributors culprit. The dispensers are to be subjected for chlorination or given for sterilization in companies periodically.
Jacob Abraham, chief patron, KPDA, asked government to save the bottled water industry in the state by identifying and punishing those companies operating in the state without ISI mark. Complaint is given to the Director General of Police and Cyber cell regarding the spreading of fake Whatsapp messages regarding the issue, he added.
Reusable pet bottles are currently being used in the market. A project to collect Crushed bottles from the retailers under the leadership of KPDA, which would help to create a green Kerala, is being planned, said P. Vibin, secretary, KPDA. Tameez Muhamed, treasurer, Manoj Kumar, vice president, and representatives of various brands were there at the press meet.