Mineral water sales up

by JOAO SOUSA M
Posted on 2009-05-14
MARGAO — The government’s inability to provide quality drinking water all the year round has resulted in a boon to packaged drinking water which has seen huge strides in the last few years and has a potential of growing by over 200 per cent in the next couple of years.
A survey revealed that the sale of packaged drinking water has been growing in the last few years and it increased by 150 per cent especially on account of shortage of water supplied by the PWD.
A source from a packaged drinking water company informed that over 55 per cent of the larger pet bottles of 5 litres and 20 litre packs are used for domestic consumption especially in flats where people are unable to get water from the PWD. The source pointed out that people even use packaged drinking water for their daily cooking requirements while some even use it for having bath.
The source further said there has been a steady increase in the consumption of packaged drinking water as people have become more health conscious and want to be safe as water provided by the PWD is sometimes not up to the drinking standards. He said that sometimes the pipes carrying PWD water pass through sewerage lines and there are cases wherein sewerage water seeps into these pipes.
When asked if the water sold by them is from PWD, he replied in the negative and said that most of the companies use underground water while some do have a PWD line and also have bore wells.
When contacted, the president of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Nitin Kuncolienkar said that the industry has the potential of growing not only by 200 per cent but even more. He said that drinking water has become a critical issue more so because of the various water-borne diseases.
He said the drinking water issue is more significant in a tourist destination like Goa where consumption of packaged drinking water is particularly high as tourists do not trust the tap water. Mr Kuncolienkar also informed that this is an universal trend especially with a few European countries, Singapore etc.
However, the next time you pick a packaged drinking water bottle be careful that you don’t fall a victim to sub-standard water bottles which are in the market just to cash in on the boom. Investigations revealed that many brands have come into the market, often compromising on the quality standards.
During my visit to one such company, it was shocking to see the conditions in which the water was being bottled by compromising on all hygienic conditions. However the officials could not be contacted for comments. It was also observed that a couple of companies bottle water for two and even three companies just to meet the production requirements leaving one to wonder on the quality of water used for packaging.