MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Food Authority on Wednesday sealed a water filtration and bottling plant in a Muzaffarabad neighbourhood after a laboratory test found its drinking water unsafe for human consumption.

The authority also seized the plant’s stock of bottled and canned water following a report by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), which detected total coliform bacteria in a sample collected from the plant.

The sample was collected byMuzaffarabad District Food Controller and Food Safety Officer Ibrar Ahmed Mir, along with a food safety team, and sent to the PCRWR laboratory for microbiological analysis.

According to the laboratory report, the water contained total coliforms, bacteria that can indicate microbial contamination and pose a health risk.

Under the AJK Pure Food Regulations, 2019, and standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), drinking water must contain zero coliforms (0 CFU/100ml).

The PCRWR report consequently declared the sample from Kashmir Crystal Water “unsafe” on the basis of its microbiological analysis.

Following the finding, the district food controller sealed the plant,which was operating from roadside shops in Chehla Bandi, under the AJK Food Authority Act, 2017, and ordered an immediate halt to its production and supply.

Teams comprising assistant food safety officers were also directed to seize the water bottles and cans available at the plant and in the market for disposal.

In a statement, Mr Mir warned other businesses involved in the production and sale of mineral water to ensure that their products met the prescribed safety and quality standards, saying those found violating the requirements would have their businesses sealed and face heavy penalties.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026