(a) whether the Government is aware that empty bottles of
‘Rail Neer’ filled with contaminated water are being sold
at railway stations ;
(b) if so, the facts thereof ;
(c) whether there is any system to check the quality of
packed water bottles being sold at railway stations ; and
(d) if so, the details in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI R. VELU )
(a) Yes, Sir. The news channel India TV on 06.01.2005 had
shown some urchins filling empty Rail Neer bottles from tap
water for the purpose of selling it.
(b) The act of buying and selling contaminated water was
nowhere shown. Only some urchins filling the Rail Neer
bottles were shown.
(c) & (d) There is a regular check by the Railways at
railway stations to ensure that only properly sealed water
bottles are sold. Bottled water brands for sale at railway
stations have to follow stringent norms set up by the Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS). Only those brands which are
approved by BIS are given for sale to the passengers.
Special drives are launched from time to time to ensure that
there is no unauthorized selling of non-branded water.