Rs.12 for Bottled Water, Price cut from April 2nd

KOCHI:
Kerala Bottled Water Manufacturers Association (KBWA), the only organization for bottled water manufacturers has decided to reduce the retail price.
Currently, a bottle of water is priced at Rs. 20. This will be sold at only Rs.12 from April 2 onwards, according to the association organizers. Initially, a litre of bottled water was Rs. 10 which was increased gradually to 12, 15, 17 & 20 due to pressure from multi-nationals and liquor companies. KBWA officials pointed out that, however, the real beneficiaries of the price hike was the big corporate and middlemen.
The association clarified that the current price reduction was in consideration of moral considerations and requests from the Government post-implementation of GST. Hence, from the announced date, one litre of bottled water will have an MRP of Rs.12 only.
The association office-bearers clarified that it is a myth that only a higher price ensures quality. Packaged drinking water can be manufactured and retailed only adhering to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) IS14543. The decision to cut price was effected without any compromise in quality. It is a painful fact that while there are numerous entities that use water, only bottled water manufacturers are pictured as exploiters draining water resources, said KBWA leaders.
KBWA officials also warned that since multi-national bottlers are unlikely to bring down their MRP, there could be orchestrated scandals against the companies that sell at the lower price. In spite of that, KBWA requested the public to buy only bottled water priced at the reduced Rs.12.