Restaurants, eateries must install water purifiers: BMC

To prevent spread of waterborne diseases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to make compulsory the installation of water purifiers in city restaurants and eating houses. The measure is expected to put a check on eateries that provide only tap water for drinking, thereby compelling customers to buy bottled water.

A Supreme Court ruling makes it mandatory for restaurants and eateries to provide safe drinking water to people visiting these places. However, according to civic officials, water served in several eateries is not potable due to which there is possibility of contracting waterborne diseases. To prevent this, the civic body has made it compulsory for restaurants and eating houses to install water purifiers in their premises. The BMC has added this special clause in the license conditions to be given for eateries.

According to civic officials, BMC's public health department under municipal act 394 issues licenses to eateries, going by which, they have to abide by certain health and hygiene conditions. The special clause of installing of water purifiers has now been included in these conditions.

"We have instructed ward-level officials to issue directions to owners of city restaurants and eating houses to follow this condition strictly. This will ensure that people visiting these eateries will get potable water to drink," said a senior official from the municipal health department.

The demand was made by MNS Corporator Sudhir Jadhav through a notice of motion. "Every year, many citizens fall ill after drinking contaminated water. To ensure Mumbaikars live a healthy life, the BMC must ask city eateries, commercial offices to install water purifiers so that potable water is available for drinking," he said. The notice of motion, after being passed in the BMC house, was sent for the Municipal Commissioner’s remarks.

In the city, there are 5906 grade I, II and III restaurants and eateries. Of these, grade III are maximum in number (3876), followed by grade I (1679) and grade II (351).