Owing to Janata curfew, the demand for bubble-top water has increased in the past two days. An estimated amount of 20000 extra units resulted in low or no stock in retail outfits.
According to a member of the Greater Chennai Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association, the sudden spike in demand started from Friday after the government announced the Janata curfew on Sunday. The member said that nearly two lakh bubble top units are supplied across the city every day.
A retail shop owner in Tiruvanmiyur has said that there has been a high demand for hand wash liquids and disinfecting liquids, along with bubble top cans. He says that it will be a couple of days before fresh stock arrives and supply resumes as packaged drinking water units were closed on Sunday.
The Madras Hugh Court has directed the State government to penalize some packaged drinking water units in the city’s outskirts and neighboring districts that were sealed after they were found to be flouting guidelines.
The Association member also said that with a temperature rising steadily and hotter days ahead, demand for drinking water will go up considerably in the city and surrounding districts. So the government should take a positive decision with regard to the sealed units.