Ban sale of RO filters without ISI certification:NGO tells NGT

An NGO has moved the National Green Tribunal seeking a ban on the sale of reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers which lack ISI certification.
The NGO has alleged before the country's top environment watchdog that RO purifier companies have put the health of the people at stake by selling water filters which are not having ISI mark and were not strictly adhering to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms.
ISI mark is a certification mark for industrial products in India. The mark certifies that a product conforms to the Indian Standard, developed by BIS, the national standards body.
The plea also sought directions to BIS to set zero-discharge as norm for all types of RO water purifiers.

"Bureau of Indian Standards has though set different parameters for drinking water and put it forth as Indian Standard Drinking water Specification (Second Revision IS 10500:2012) but the fact is that they have given only the maximum acceptable limits of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and different substances but there is no minimum level set for the same.
"The absence of BIS norms regarding minimum level of TDS and different essential minerals gives a full scope of selling de-mineralised water, which is otherwise used in batteries and various industrial works, to RO filter companies and the drinking water industry," the NGO Friends said.

It has sought heavy penalty on the companies which are selling RO filters without ISI mark and also sought directions to BIS to set zero-discharge as norm for all types of RO water purifiers.

The matter is listed for hearing before a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on April 13.
The tribunal had earlier issued notice to Ministry of Water Resources and Central Pollution Control Board on the NGO's plea against installation of water purifiers in residential societies and villages on the ground that it leads to wastage of water.
It had said that ground water is being polluted by these huge RO systems as highly contaminated water percolates in the soil causing pollution of ground water which is the only source of water for the poor.