Sporadic raids of no use
The water pouch available at Re 1 is consumed widely in Sundargarh district, including the Steel City of Rourkela, but very few think about the quality of the water.
Significantly, the water pouches available in several brands do not meet the criteria required to manufacture the water pouches. Several manufacturers, who are selling the water pouch to make money, have neither food safety licence nor ISI mark on the pouch. The pouches do not have water testing report and pollution control clearance as well.
The water pouches are sold widely in several betel shops, OMFED stalls and snacks shops as the health officials do not undertake regular checks and customers are unaware of the poor quality of water and how harmful the water could be when consumed.
According to the district health officials, the water pouch should have ISI mark while the manufacturer should have food safety licence from the concerned authority besides having water testing report and pollution control clearance. But these criteria are not followed by most manufacturers.
“Only Tarini brand water pouch has food safety licence and ISI mark on the pouch. The other manufacturers are illegal. ADMO (Public Health), Sundargarh and Food Safety Officer, Sundargarh are raiding several shops so as to stop sale of unhygienic water pouches,” said Rourkela Municipality Health Officer BK Mishra.
Our health officials are also checking various shops under the municipality area and accordingly have informed the Food Safety Officer, Sundargarh, for action, Mishra added.
“We are currently raiding several shops and seizing the illegally made water pouches available in market. We issue warning for a maximum of three times to the manufacturers/ sellers of these water pouches. If they are found to be flouting the rules, they are booked,” said ADMO (PH), Sundargarh Pankaj Patel, adding, “We are also going to organise training for our supervisors for a period of four days from May 19 to 22 for spreading awareness on the harmful effect of consuming water from unhygienic pouches in Sundargarh district.”