"I am yet to receive the report from the four-member inquiry committee but I am scheduled to make a statement in Parliament on Tuesday on the issue relating to quality of bottled water and action being taken by the government," Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Yadav told reporters.
The minister said he would speak to the concerned officials to ascertain the progress of investigation into the matter and hoped the panel would be able to give its report before the inquiry committee, headed by additional secretary in the Consumer Affairs Department, Satwant Kaur Reddy, who has been asked to submit its report within three weeks.
On the basis of its findings, he said the government would initiate steps including adoption of revised norms and new standards for providing safe bottled drinking water, which is sold after certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The probe was ordered following claims made by an NGO about the presence of pesticides in bottled water. The BIS also proposed to revise methods of analysis through internationally established test methods meeting the prescribed residue limits.
A draft notification for inviting comments from public to amend the standards of packaged drinking water and mineral water has been issued and later necessary amendments are proposed to be made in the law.
Asserting that quality norms would be strictly enforced, Yadav said ISI markings for eight bottled water units have been withdrawn for flouting BIS regulations.
