KARACHI, Nov 26: Thousands of people in the city are every day exposed to various types of water-borne diseases by consuming bottled water unfit for drinking.

Sources told Dawn that at present the consumer market was flooded with at least 150 spurious brands of bottled water which was not only unfit for drinking but could bring on diseases.

They added that while the sale and manufacture of bottled water unfit for human consumption was not permissible under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, promulgated on Aug 8, the city government had failed to check the sale of spurious brands of bottled water. Besides, they pointed out, the drug and health inspectors of the government in the 18 towns of the city had not been able to ensure that shopkeepers kept a certificate of laboratories stating that the brands of bottled water on sale were fit for human consumption.

Section 11 of the part 1 of the fourth schedule of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance says: “Supplying or marketing drinking water for human consumption in any form, from any source which is contaminated or suspected to be dangerous to public health, or its use has been prohibited by a local government on the ground of being unsafe for human consumption, or whose quality or suitability for human consumption has not been ascertained and certified by a laboratory authorized by the local government.”

It also outlaws “manufacturing, trading, storing or supplying any eatable or drinkable and other items unsafe for human consumption”.

The sources told Dawn that the Aga Khan University Hospital had recently examined 26 samples of bottled water collected from different areas of the city, such as Clifton, Hyderi, Gulberg, Sohrab Goth, etc. Out of the 26 samples of bottled water, the microbiology laboratory of the hospital had found 19 brands unfit for human consumption. Only seven brands of bottled water had been found “satisfactory”.

The samples had been collected and sent to the Aga Khan University Hospital by the Consumer Protection Council.

According to the microbiology reports, the following seven brands of bottled water are fit for human consumption: Nestle, Gulfa, Masafi, AVA, Aqua Pure, Rainbow, AVA Water.

The microbiology reports declare that the following 21 brands are unfit for drinking: Best Water, Mineral Plus, Trust Water, Delight Drinking Water, Blue Rain Water, Aab-e-Shifa, Best and Safe, Zee International, Hirrah International, Minhal Pure Drinking Water, Hayyat Water, Clear and Crystal, Peggy, Swan Pure Natural Mineral Water, Orient Pure Water, Fresh, Spring Fresh, Oslo, Mineral Plus Water.

Insiders said that empty bottles of standard brands were sold at bottle gali at Rs2 each. These empty bottles were purchased by illegal marketeers who put new seals on the used bottles and sold them as new bottles, sometimes at rates higher than the ones at which genuine bottles were sold.