Eateries rapped for not installing water purifiers

Are you sure that the 'regular' water you are sipping in restaurants and eateries is from a water purifier? The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken action against at least 792 hotels and eateries in the city over the past year for failing to install water purifiers.

To ensure that citizens do not get infected with water-borne diseases, the BMC made it mandatory to install water purifiers. However, of the 5,931 licensed hotels and eateries in the city, BMC has cracked down on 792 of them for not adhering to the mandate. BMC's health department officials said the civic body implemented the rule in September 2015.

BMC's health inspectors visit restaurants and eateries regularly to ensure these establishments do not flout the rule. "If an establishment flouts the rule, the owner is instructed to abide by it. They are expected to comply within a stipulated period. If the owner fails to comply, they are given a notice and taken to court. Those found guilty are penalised, and their license cancelled," said a senior civic official.

The cases are still pending in court. BMC took three years to take action against these establishments after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Corporator Sudhir Jadhav raised the issue in the Assembly in July 2012. Jadhav said citizens are prone to water-borne diseases if they drink unpurified water.