Lok Sabha Question No. 2439 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-02
Subject: BIS for Packaged Drinking Water
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: KANWAR SINGH TANWAR

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2439

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2018

## BIS FOR PACKAGED DRINKING WATER

## 2439.  SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  true  that  packaged  drinking  water  units/plants  are  mushrooming  without adhering to the standards prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the number of such units/plants reported;
- (c) the action taken by the Government against these units/plants; and
- (d) the effective monitoring mechanism adopted or being adopted by the Government to ensure availability of safe packaged drinking water?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) : Standards for  Packaged Mineral Water and Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)  are covered under sub-regulations 2.10.7 and 2.10.8 of Food Safety & Standards (Food  Products  &  Food  Additives)  Regulations,    2011  respectively.    Compliance  to  these standards  is  mandatory  for  any  packaged  drinking  water  manufacturer  in  the  country.  These products are also under mandatory certification of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Enforcement of provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations made thereunder  primarily  rests  with  the  States/Union  Territories.  Regular  surveillance,  monitoring  , inspection and random sampling of food products is being done by the Officials of the Food Safety Departments of the respective States /UTs to ensure  compliance with the norms and standards laid down under FSS Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder.

As and when cases of manufacture and sale of packaged mineral water/drinking water by unlicensed units /units without BIS certification come to the notice of FSSAI, Commissioners of Food Safety of States/UTs are advised to take action against the erring Food Business Operators.

As per the information available with FSSAI from the State/UT Governments, the details of samples of Packaged Drinking Water /Mineral Water collected, tested, found   non-conforming and action taken during the year 2016-17 is as under:

|   Total no. of samples taken |   No. of Samples Analysed |   No of Samples found non- conforming |   No. of cases launched | No. of conviction/ Penalties   |
|------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------|
|                          743 |                       697 |                                   224 |                     131 | 33/40                          |

In such cases BIS also conducts investigations and raids and initiates legal prosecution in the Court of Law.

During  the  year  2017-18,  25  raids  were  conducted  by  BIS  on  packaged  drinking  water units and 11 cases have been decided in various Courts of Law of which conviction has happened in 10 cases.

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