Key Development

Residents across Puducherry have started raising complaints about the poor quality of bubble-top drinking water supplied in their neighbourhoods. Many consumers told the Department of Food Safety that the 20-litre cans often taste bitter and arrive in unhygienic, unlabelled containers.

People say they shifted to canned water because the quality of piped water has declined. However, they now feel that packaged water has become unsafe as well. Several distributors supply water in old, scratched and worn-out cans, and some residents say the water tastes off.

Badri Balasubramanian from Kosapalayam recently found insects inside a can he had purchased. He immediately filed a complaint with the Food Safety Department. He said consumers pay for packaged water expecting safety, and he urged the government to tighten inspections at bottling plants and ensure distributors replace old cans after the allowed number of refills, similar to the system followed in Tamil Nadu.

Food Safety Officials Issue Notices

S. D. Balakrishnan, Designated Officer of the Department of Food Safety, said the department has served notices to local distributors. Since the water manufacturers operate from neighbouring Tamil Nadu districts, the department will send notices to them through the respective district administrations. Officials have also asked distributors to replace every can after a maximum of 30 refills.

Strict Rules for Packaged Drinking Water

According to FSSAI rules, all packaged drinking water distributors and retailers must hold a valid licence. Each water can must carry proper labels with manufacturing and packaging details. Distributors must wash, disinfect and fill the cans under hygienic conditions. They should never reuse scratched, cloudy, de-shaped, or damaged cans. They must also maintain:

• Microbiological reports for every batch

• Physicochemical test reports are once every three months

• Pesticide residue test reports are once every six months, all from FSSAI-notified and NABL-accredited labs.

Balakrishnan warned that failing to maintain these reports will invite penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Officials Urge Public to Check Labels

Officials advised consumers to look for the FSSAI licence number, brand name and seal before purchasing any bubble-top can. Residents can report unsafe or unlabeled water at the department’s Gorimedu office or via the toll-free numbers 1031 and 1071.

Source: The Hindu