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Mineral water or general water?
Our Bureau
Visakhapatnam
,
Feb. 24
THE Andhra Pradesh Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers' Association has appealed to the public not to patronise units that have not obtained the mandatory ISI certification.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Mr K.V.K.S. Prasada Rao, President of the association, said that the State had the dubious distinction of having the largest number of units without licences. "So far, only 125 manufacturers have obtained the ISI certification and 250 are operating without the licence."
He said that packaged drinking water, other than natural mineral water, had been brought under compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards certification with effect from March 29, 2001. In accordance with the stipulation, the members of the association (125) had set up plants with proper testing facilities and labs at a cost of Rs 10-20 lakh, but they were unable to compete with the units not complying with the stipulation.
He said the rogue units were able to sell water packets and bottles in the market at much cheaper rates and were also offering higher margins to the retailers, as their cost of production was much lower.
He said the Government should take stringent steps to curb them and the public should also be aware of the dangers.
He said the association was proposing to have a packaged drinking water park in the vicinity of Hyderabad so that costs could be brought down, with common facilities. The association had set in motion the process for obtaining land.
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