(a) whether there has been boom in the bottled water industry in the country;
(b) if so, the number of industrial units engaged in the
sale of drinking water in the country from 1995-96 till
date; and
(c) the affect on available water resources in the country
as a result thereof ?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES ( SHRI ARJUN CHARAN SETHI)
(a) & (b) Bureau of Indian Standards has no information
regarding quantum of boom in bottled water industry, number
of units engaged in the manufacture and sale of drinking
water from the year 1995-1996 onwards.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had issued
GSR 759E and GSR 760E in September, 2000 notifying ‘Packaged
Natural Mineral Water’ and ‘Packaged Drinking Water’ as food
and making it mandatory that after 29th March, 2001 the
manufacture and sale of above mentioned items should be with
BIS Certification Mark. In compliance to the above
notification, the units engaged in the manufacture and
marketing of ‘Packaged Drinking Water’ and ‘Packaged Natural
Mineral Water’ are to obtain license from Bureau of Indian
Standards to use BIS Certification Mark on their product.
As on date, 324 licenses have been issued for use of BIS
Certification mark under IS `14543:1998 ‘Packaged Drinking
Water’ and 4 licenses have been issued under IS 13428:1998
‘Packaged Natural Mineral Water’.
(c) There is no effect on the available water resources in
the country as a result thereof.