Stop cheating nation or face closure, SC warns mineral water companies

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday warned mineral water companies to stop deceiving the nation or ready to face closure of their industry.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar resumed hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the exploitation of water resources by mineral water companies operating in the country.

Chief Justice remarked that the court has not soft corner for the mineral water companies operating in the country as they are cheating with the nation and they have to improve their functioning.

He said, "We cannot let our children drink this water as these companies would turn our country into Ethiopia, people should boycott to drink mineral water.

" Meanwhile, amicus curiae, an water technologist, Professor Dr Ahsan Siddiqui informed the bench that mineral water companies were lying when they said they added minerals to water extracted from underground as minerals occur naturally in water.

He added that these bottled water companies replace the natural minerals with artificial minerals.

The expert said that mineral water companies use 7.5 billion litres of groundwater monthly, and 1.5 billion litres of polluted water are released back into the underground.

The court was further told that expired chemicals were being used to test water.

To this Chief Justice remarked that these companies would have to pay billions of rupees for the water they have extracted from the underground.

If these companies would start to pay taxes on their use of the water, then the dam fund would not need money from anyone else, CJ observed.

The Chief Justice then warned the companies to improve their working within a week, or else they would be shut down.