Mumbai fares poorly in random bottled water test by FDA

Mumbaikars, go easy on chugging bottled water; turns out, it's not so safe, after all. The Food and Drug Administration Maharashtra that had collected six samples last year for testing, after receiving a complaint of contamination, has found hazardous chemicals in three of them.

In 2015, a report of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre had found presence of bromate, a carcinogen, in packaged drinking water in Mumbai. A doctor had then lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, which was forwarded to FSSAI. The latter had asked the FDA to conduct an investigation. FDA had collected six samples from different places, such as Andheri, Cotton Green, Sewri and Malad, that were sent to the state public health laboratory in Pune for analysis.

"As per the report received by FDA Maharashtra, none of the samples was found to have bromate. However, one had pseudomonas aeruginosa and aerobic microbial count, while two samples had high residual-free chlorine," states the FDA report.

Shailesh Adhav, joint commissioner of FDA, said the analysis has confirmed contamination in three samples. "We've taken note of the reports and filed a case against the companies. The reports would be produced in court during hearing," he said, adding, "We have plans to collect more samples from other parts of the city."

Adhav said, "Especially in this season, we appeal to people to carry their own drinking water. At home, they should either boil water before drinking or install a water filter."

Biologically speaking...
Humans carry pseudomonas aeruginosa and aerobic microbes inside their bodies at any given time. While these are usually considered harmless, if the count increases, it can prove fatal. Chlorine, too, is used in drinking water, for the purpose of making the bacteria inactivate, while also acting as a residual disinfectant, but its excessive consumption can have a deadly impact on a person's health. According to the US Council of Environmental Quality, people who drink chlorinated water have a 93% higher chance of getting cancer than those who don't.

Also Read: Maharashtra FDA proposes registration of Ayurvedic medicine shops

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates