Rising mercury a boost for Rail Neer

Sale of packaged water bottles goes up from 1,40,000 to 2,40,000 a day

Mumbai: April 16, 2016:FOLLOW STORY: The daily wage labourers are waiting for the train at Mumbai Central station to load Rail Neer drinking water bottols. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury.

Despite the rise in temperatures increasing the level of passengers’ discomfort, the Railways have a reason to cheer.

The daily sale of their water bottles, which come from the Railways-owned drinking water treatment and packaging plant at Ambernath, has increased from 1,40,000 to 2,40,000 bottles. The staff are now working overtime to meet the demand.

According to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), their water bottles branded

Rail Neer have suddenly come in demand and they are selling more than one lakh extra bottles a day in Mumbai.

The

Rail Neer plant was started in August 2014, and IRCTC, an enterprise of the Railways, started selling the packaged drinking water at railway stations. However, it is not allowed to sale water bottles outside the premises.

Pinakin Morawala, PRO, IRCTC, said, “All efforts are being made to meet the passenger’s demand this summer.”

Rail Neer , however, has had several complaints and petitions filed in the past. A test done by an independent Gujarat-based laboratory revealed that the water does not comply with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms.

“It is true that passengers choose other brands over Rail Neer , but we have worked hard to improve the quality,” said an IRCTC official. IRCTC has invested ₹23 crore to develop the Ambernath plant.