Chennai: A division bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a report stating the mechanism followed in preparing drinking water in cans, their cleanliness and life span, storage period and the mechanism involving their destruction.
The bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and P T Asha gave the direction when a review application filed in 2019 on the issue came up for further hearing last week.
The State government shall also file a detailed report as regards supply of milk in bottles/tetrapacks, after obtaining suggestions from Aavin, the state-owned milk supply agency.
The bench on it own impleaded the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration department as a party-respondent, to assist the court in this matter.
The court observed that drinking water stored in plastic bottles becomes a significant problem not only to the well-being of the environment, but also affects the quality of health. Though there is no standard expiry period for drinking water, life of plastic bottles, which carry water, is short, apart from its sub-standard quality.
Storage of water in a sub-standard water bottle for a longer period of time turns good water into poisonous one on account of mixture of plastic particles with water. The Central government must find out an effective alternative for plastic bottles for drinking purposes in all public places, the bench said.
Equally, the use of bubble top water can in all places has become common in Tamil Nadu, despite the fact that it is highly hazardous to life.
Aavin can think of offering milk in bottles instead of sachets. To start with, they can offer a choice to the consumer to buy milk in bottles by paying extra charges or offer a period to eradicate supply of milk in sachets. The Bench also put a suggestion as to whether Aavin can think of marketing milk in non-hazardous Tetra packs.
Similarly, the supply of provisions and edibles, now being marketed in sachets, can also be packed in the substitutes as suggested above, the bench said. The matter stands adjourned till August 29. —PTI

Press Trust of India