As the hot season has set in, water pouches available at `2 per unit are consumed widely in Umarkote municipality and nearby villages with few caring about the quality of water. Significantly, the water pouches available in several brands do not meet the criteria required for manufacturing.
A company producing the pouches in the town has neither food safety licence nor ISI mark on the pouches. The pouches do not have water testing report and pollution control clearance.
They are sold widely in several betel shops, hotels, stalls and snack shops as the health officials and the food inspector hardly undertake regular checks and customers are unaware of the poor quality of water and its harmful effect.
The drive against illegal sale of water pouches assumes significance because of jaundice outbreak in several localities in municipal limits.
“Most of the water pouches are sold without manufacturing dates and nobody knows whether the water is safe for consumption or not,” said Parsuram Patro , a resident of Bhanja Chowk.
Official sources said each packet of water should carry the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification and ISI mark. Besides, a valid licence is also mandatory for manufacturing and selling packaged drinking water. The water pouch should also carry the name, address of the company and manufacturing date. But the company bluntly flouts the norms while manufacturing the water pouches.
Though it is in the knowledge of the officials concerned and the district administration, no action is taken till today against the erring company, alleged Patro.