Fake mineral water hazardous to health

Rawalpindi

Unhygienic water collected directly from taps or filtered water is being sold under the garb of mineral water at commercial spots like railway stations and bus stops, posing threats to the health of the people.

The fake mineral water bottles are mainly sold at railway stations, bus stands, petrol pumps and stores on roads entering or exiting Rawalpindi, because travellers may have no choice but to buy unknown brands.

Some of private water filtration plants are also involved in selling fake water brands to earn undue profit at the cost of the health of the people. 

The areas where private water filtration plants have been set up include Dhoke Ellahi Bakhsh, Sadiqabad, Commercial Market, Chota Bazaar Saddar, Waris Khan, Shamsabad, Tariqabad and Sixth Road.

District Food Inspector Shahid Mehmood said they have carried out spot-checking in various areas and collected water samples from private water agencies, adding "Now 10 water agencies have so far been sealed on the basis of the sampling reports."

He said the local administration has also taken action on the reports compiled by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) after collecting samples of water brands from Rawalpindi.