Palike records show City has only 18 water-processing units

Hundreds of water-processing units might have cropped up across the City due to increasing demand for processed or mineral water. But the BBMP records show that there are only 18 water-processing plants under its jurisdiction.

The information was disclosed in reply to a starred question by ruling party leader in the BBMP Council N R Ramesh on Tuesday.

“Water is one of the main sources of diseases across the world. It is essential to ensure that good quality of water is supplied (to citizens). Tragically, the BBMP officials say there are only 18 water-processing units in the City, which makes us assume that only 18 units have the licences while hundreds others are unauthorised. This is our accountability towards public health and the primary responsibility of a local urban government,” Ramesh said.

He said the officials do not even have a small pocket-size device to measure Total
Dissolved Salts (TDS) and PH value.

Ramesh said, “The device hardly costs a few hundred rupees, which our health officers can spend from their pocket, instead of looking for the BBMP to pay them. In the last 16-17 years, not a single lab report has been submitted to the BBMP.”

He complained that most of the packaged water bottles sold in the City do not have the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification and may be using fake ISI registration number to sell their products. He pointed out that some companies were drawing water from very close to the Vrushabhavathi river, which now carries sewage water and contains dangerous chemicals.

Filthy water

Opposition Congress leader Manjunath Reddy complained that many water-processing units had come up next to the stormwater drains which contain filthy water.

Commissioner M Lakshminarayana conceded that the BBMP does not have sufficient powers ever since water falls under the category of food products, which comes under the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

He, however, added, “Yet, our officers can verify the quality of water. We have to find ways where we can fix accountability of those supplying substandard water.”