Jubair Hasan
The authorities Wednesday conducted a special drive against fake mineral water companies in the city, as selling of substandard drinking water in jars has been going on unabated for long.
Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) with the help of Dhaka district administration launched the mobile court beside Notre Dame College and fined 24 mineral water companies Tk 0.69 million.
"We fined 24 companies for not having legal documents and supplying substandard water at various tea-stalls, shops and offices across the capital," BSTI executive magistrate Al Amin told the FE.
"This time we have declared war against substandard water, and the drive will be gradually conducted at all parts of the mega city, as a number of fake companies have been supplying unsafe drinking water in jars," he said, adding that during the drive only three companies were found maintaining the standard of their products.
The mobile court through their makeshift laboratory tested water jars carried by 31 vans and pickups, and found unhygienic elements in most of the jars, which might cause various water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, polio, malaria, and hepatitis A and E.
The illegal trade of selling unhygienic water has spread since the authorities conduct drives only to unearth fake mineral water plants, and not to prevent selling of such water.
A roadside shop-owner at Motijheel in the city said company staffs supply water jars to them twice a day, and most of the jars do not have any trademark or expire date.
Mobile court fines 24 water cos Tk 0.69m
FE Team | Published: October 07, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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