How safe is bottled drinking water?

Hyderabad: With the dog days around the corner and water crisis looming large, private bottling industry have gone into overdrive.However, the latest revelation by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) officials have cast doubt on the safety and quality of bottled drinking water.

In a latest raid by BIS on March 15 at a manufacturing unit at Rampally, officials have seized thousands of water bottles and water packets.

"Most of the manufacturers misuse the ISI mark and 11 cases were booked last year," said Prem Sajani, Scientist with BIS.

The BIS officials further revealed that of 3000 water packaging units only 17 has taken permission for storage and supply of water bottles or cans to consumers.

Sajani asserted that the onus of keeping a check also lies with other organisations like Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) and not just BIS.

When asked about ensuring safe packaged drinking water, one the officials from health wing of GHMC said that they don't have sufficient hands to conduct raids. Similar was the case with IPM, which also said that they hardly take up such inspections.

B Anjaneyulu, Deputy Chief Water Analyst of IPM said that they only inspect on water quality which is tapped from borewell and pipped from water connections.

However, the BIS said that it has issued directions on its website and people can check on their own by going through their website.