Tamil Nadu packaged drinking water manufacturers go on strike
Posted on: 10/Jan/2014 12:15:04 PM
The National Green Tribunal`s order directing the pollution control board to close down 252 water units because they were found to be located in areas categorized as `over-exploited` for groundwater in an assessment by the state ground and surface water resources wing of the public works department in 2009. About 570 water units are in `safe` blocks and the tribunal allowed them to continue operations. Another set of 33 units which fall in the Chennai Metrowater jurisdiction are also permitted, but with a `no objection` certificate from the water agency for extraction of groundwater.
Tamil Nadu packaged drinking water manufacturers on Wednesday declared an indefinite strike in protest against the National Green Tribunal`s order directing the pollution control board to close down 252 water units.
Traders are aggrieved over the order, as the units are licencees of the Bureau of Indian Standards, a premier national standards body which offers ISI certification.
Unpredictable monsoon and poor quality of piped water have led to the mushrooming of packaged water units since 2001. Apart from government`s water supply, industry estimates reveal that 15 lakh water cans with a capacity of 20 litres are sold each day in the state. This includes four lakh water cans retailed in Chennai and its surroundings. The water cans come with a price range of Rs20 to Rs60 depending on the locality and brand.
There is no impediment for these 252 units to purchase water from safe blocks. The bench, led by justice M Chokkalingam and technical expert R Nagendran ordered these units to approach PWD to obtain `no objection` certificate
