ZUBAIR QURESHI
To monitor and improve the quality of bottled water, the Government of Pakistan through Ministry of Science & Technology has designated the task to Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) for quarterly monitoring of bottled/mineral water brands and publicize the results. According to a statement issued by the PCRWR here Friday, the monitoring report for the quarter from October to December 2019, around 102 samples of Mineral/Bottled water brands have been collected from Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Lahore, Peshawar, Bahawalpur, Tando Jam, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Muzaffarabad. Comparison of analytical findings with permissible limits of Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has revealed that six brands (i.e. Shukran, Droplet, Defence, Vinh, Aqua Ayolam and Livon) were found to be unsafe due to presence of higher levels of sodium ranging from 64-250 mg/L than PSQCA water quality standard for sodium and four brands—Blue Plus, Defence, Aqua Drop, Aqua Ayolam and Stream— were found unsafe due to the presence of low level of pH. Whereas, the two brands (i.e. Karakorum Flow and Top Up) were found contaminated with bacteria and Livon with high level of fluoride, the report further says. Poor quality of drinking water has forced a large cross-section of citizens to buy bottled water. As a consequence of this expanding market a mushroom growth of bottled water industry in the country is witnessed during the last few years. However, many of the mineral/ bottled water companies were found selling contaminated water, it says
