Sambalpur: Fake Bottles of Reputed Companies with Contaminated Water Sold Without Quality Checks; Water Mafia Profiting
Sambalpur faces health risk as water mafia sells contaminated water in fake branded bottles, bypassing quality checks. Investigation reveals widespread distribution of unsafe drinking water.
Sambalpur: Water bottles are in high demand throughout Sambalpur’s markets, from large hotels to roadside stalls and pushcart vendors. Many reputable companies’ water bottles are available on the market. Many counterfeit water bottles are sold under the guise of these well-known company designs. The logo, design, and bottle shape of well-known companies are nearly identical, but with minor variations in the name, these fake bottles are sold openly in the marketplace.
High Demand During Scorching Heat
During the scorching heat, there is a significant increase in market demand for water bottles. When people feel thirsty in the hot weather, they buy and drink water bottles from various companies. However, many people are unaware of the purity of the water in the available bottles. Many water bottles on the market lack proper packaging, expiry dates, and other identifying information. People also don’t consider these details when quenching their thirst. All of these details can be found on water bottles from well-known companies. However, many bottles on the market do not have an expiration date. While selling water bottles from reputable companies, shopkeepers do not hesitate to sell counterfeit water bottles to customers. The same name, logo, and bottle design of reputed companies are used to sell fake water bottles, especially in rural areas. Many dishonest businessmen profit by exploiting the lack of proper checks and balances.
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Profit Over Safety
According to a shopkeeper, selling reputable company water bottles yields less profit, while selling counterfeit company water bottles yields a higher profit. Shopkeepers do not hesitate to give people contaminated water in order to increase their profits. It is worth noting that in order to prepare water bottles, one must first obtain a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards. Before issuing the license, a BIS team inspects the company unit and verifies the processing and arrangements. Following that, water samples from the company are collected every six months for laboratory testing. As a result, the purity and standard of water can be consistently determined.
Call for Proper Checks
However, many fake water bottle manufacturers do not follow BIS regulations. They do not test the quality of their water. Unauthorized water companies are never raided. As a result, they break the rules and undermine people’s health. It is alleged that if the administration conducts proper checks, the sale of unauthorized company water bottles will decrease. The administration also has no idea how many counterfeit companies are active in the market. Taking advantage of this, hundreds of unauthorized businesses have established water bottle businesses throughout the city. Companies that operate without a license, on the other hand, extract water directly from borewells or water pipelines, pack it, and sell it. A 1-liter water bottle from an authorized company costs between 10 and 15 rupees. However, counterfeit companies sell water bottles for between 6 and 12 rupees per liter. As a result, retailers focus more on selling counterfeit water bottles to increase profits.
