Guwahati: Starting a crackdown on unauthorized and illegal water bottling and packaging plants across Guwahati, the Kamrup Metropolitan (M) District Administration on Friday served closure notices to five such businesses.
Taking to social media, the district administration informed that the notices were served to Sure Life bottling factory at Saukuchi, M/S Trappist- 1, M/S Rhino Aqua at Sijubari, M/S Pacific Water and Unnamed bottling plant at Notboma, Sijubari.
''The Task Force of Kamrup City District Administration today shut down an unhealthy and unauthorized bottling factory called Mesarse Rhino Aqua at Sizubari in Hatigaon,'' the district administration said in its post.
It further said that continuing the operation, the Task Force of Kamrup City district today issued a notification for immediate closure of the pacific water plant which is 'bottling' water completely unhygienic and also without approval.
''During the task force's drive to shut down illegal water 'bottling' factories in Kamrup city district, a closure notice was issued to the bottling factory today without getting approval called M/S Trypst-1. The owner is asked to take necessary permission,'' it added.
Such practices were revealed after several complaints from public and findings of a Magestrial Enquiry.
In this regard, at a disaster management meeting held at the district collector's office on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha had asserted that he would set up a task force by 'Food Safety Officer', Police, Circle Officer etc. to launch a drive against unhealthy and illegal water bottle packaging factories set up in different parts of the city.
Notably, the task force has now carried out the drive and served with closure notices which were enforced on the spot.
There are many water bottle packaging factory whose produce packaged drinking water bottles may not be safe for consumption.
In the State, there has been a mushrooming growth of local packaged drinking water units. Most of them are operating without proper certificates. So, there is a big question mark over the quality of the water that is being packaged and sold to gullible consumers.
To start a packaged drinking water unit, the following certificates are mandatory – trade license from the local municipal bodies, certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), certificate from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), certificate from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), certificate from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and certificate from the Department of Legal Metrology.
In addition, one will require test reports of the water, whether the water is microbiologically safe for consumption or not, what is the percentage of nitrate, sulphur and fluoride in the water etc. Moreover, the processed water must be filled in bottles that are tamper-proof, tight and impervious, as per the BIS standards.
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