Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department has warned that vendors selling substandard drinking water cans will face a fine of ₹5,000, along with legal action.
With summer heat intensifying, the sale of water cans has increased. Authorities said complaints have surfaced that some sellers are supplying poor-quality water that could be harmful to health. The state government has directed designated food safety officers in all districts to monitor the sale of drinking water cans.
Officials said water-can companies must strictly follow the department’s guidelines. If water is sold without proper permission or if quality standards are violated, stringent action will be taken. They added that cans must carry mandatory details such as the company and manufacturer name, date of manufacture and expiry date.
The department also outlined handling and quality requirements, including ensuring specified levels of calcium and magnesium per litre, avoiding storage in direct sunlight, and not reusing a can more than 30 times. If water is sold in repeatedly used cans, criminal action may be initiated against owners.
Shops and plants found violating rules will be fined ₹5,000 and proceeded against under the law. If repeated complaints are received against a company, officials have been instructed to move to cancel its licence.
