PESHAWAR, March 27: On the directives of the chief secretary, the Environmental Protection Agency tested samples of 11 brands of bottled water and found all of them below the required standard.

Notices have been issued to the companies under the Environmental Protection Act-1997.

It may be mentioned that the chief secretary had in a meeting directed the Environmental Protection Agency to examine the contents of bottled and tap water to find out whether they were injurious to health, as an effective measure to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the general public.

An analysis of tap water in Peshawar was also carried out and four out of 35 samples were found to be contaminated.

Food Department personnel have been trained by the Environmental Protection Agency to enable them to take samples of water for testing in all districts of the NWFP.

The chief secretary has directed that legal action may also be taken against the companies dealing in bottled water under the pure food ordinance.

He said that the departments concerned should take immediate steps to check and remove contaminants from water.

The chief secretary directed the Environmental Protection Agency to complete its task within a reasonable period and launch a public-awareness campaign so that people stop using impure bottled and tap water.—PPI