Soon, divulging water source must for bottling unit licence

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 9

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has initiated move to amend the law to factor in “source of water” as a licencing condition to permit setting up packaged drinking water industrial units.

This was with a view to stop callous extraction of depleting groundwater in several parts of the country which was recommended by the Standing Committee on Water Resources (now known as Jal Shakti Ministry).

The ministry has informed the committee in its Action Taken status on the latter’s recommendation to incorporate information on the prospective licencee’s source of water for the project concerned necessary condition by ringing in change in the law.

Reacting to the ministry response, the committee, in a report tabled in Parliament last week, expressed satisfaction on its positive response, but raised concern at not being informed about definite time frame for proposed amendment to the law.

“No specific information has been furnished about the time period,” the committee said in its report and asked the ministry to pursue with FSSAI under the Ministry for Health and Family Welfare regarding amendment to the law “at the earliest.”

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) grants licence to packaged drinking water and mineral water units/plants under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business Regulation, 2011).

The law mandates requirement of specific documents and also prescribes other conditions.