Staff Reporter
22 branded water sachets, 16 water cans unfit for consumption
227 samples of branded packaged water analysed
Water contaminated with E. coli and coliform bacteria
CHENNAI: Continuing its offensive against contaminated packaged drinking water, the Chennai Corporation on Thursday closed nine water packaging and storage units in the city.
From the analysis of 227 samples at its public analyst laboratory, the local body declared 22 branded water sachets and 16 branded water cans unfit for consumption. Several of these were ISI-certified, officials said. The Corporation had obtained the samples from manufacturers and retailers.
Corporation Health Officer P. Kuganantham said the water was found contaminated with E. coli and coliform bacteria. Usually found in sewage, their presence is considered indicative of the water being unfit for consumption.
The list
The Corporation issued a press release warning the public against using the following branded sachets of purified drinking water: Wave, Yoga, Spice Aqua, Chielerry, Paular, Hitech, Magic, Prince, Suriya, Shri Balaji, Cool Breeze, Ripple, Trust Aqua, Dolphin, VGR, Prime Life, Ice Touch, Lingam, Eagle, Arjun and Aqua City.
The public have also been warned against using the following brands of purified drinking water cans — Daillee, Eagle, Manatsa, Snow, Aqua Fast, Trinity, Citizen, Apollo, Klass, Agni, Prime Life, Saravana Stores Purified Drinking Water, VXL Aqua, Apoorva, Kapil, Alpha and Saravana Stores purified drinking water.
Water sachets
Water sachets are generally unsafe, since the packaging is done by hand, Dr. Kuganantham said. The civic body had initially undertaken a drive against water sachets and destroyed several of them. A plea to ban water sachets has already come up in the Corporation Council and the body is considering the proposal.
On Saturday, the Corporation made its move against the packaging and storage units, sealing them under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The drive against contaminated water follows the spurt in diarrhoeal diseases in the recent past.
ISI certification
Officials said the local body would write to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to initiate action against brands selling contaminated water. The Corporation would urge that their certification be cancelled.
Officials speculated that the certification might have been granted earlier, when conditions were more hygienic.
BIS officials said the ISI certification covered both the quality of the water packaged and certain aspects of the manufacturing process. The organisation had recently undertaken a drive against water packaging units using fake ISI mark.
Action sought
With several water packaging units in suburban areas falling under local bodies other than the Chennai Corporation, health officials in those bodies have been asked to take action against them.
The nine units were sealed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Samples have been obtained from the nine centres for a second confirmation, following which legal action is likely to be initiated.