Even after the Bureau of Indian Standards' decision to upgrade the norms for packaged water, large players are showing no signs of improving their production facilities.

Packaged water manufacturers like Bisleri, Coca-Cola and Pepsi continue to maintain that their brands meet the highest safety norms.

"The water we are providing does not contain any pesticides. The membrane filter system that we deploy at our plants will filter the smallest of the bacteria," said Bisleri chairman Ramesh Chauhan. Thus, hinting that no new investment will be made to upgrade the company's manufacturing units to conform to more stringent health standards.

It is worth noting that Chauhan's Bisleri has been the worst affected by a report published by the NGO Centre for Science and Environment.

The report revealed that many popular brands of packaged water contain pesticides above those prescribed by European standards.

This has prompted the government to lay down stricter norms for packaged water.

The government has identified 32 pesticides, prescribing limits for their traces collectively and individually in packaged water. The 32 pesticides include malathion, DDT, parathion, BHC, fenitrothion, carbaryl, aldicarb, methyl parathion, carbofuran, dimethoate and phosalone.

Other pesticides are monocrotophos, ethion, dichlorvos, propoxur, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, fenthion, phosphomidon, endosulfan and cypermethrin.

The list also includes deltamethrin, fenavalerate, permethrin, atrazine, simazine, captafol, acephate, dithiocarbamate, metalaxyl, fosetylal and lindane (gamma BHC).

For pesticide residues considered individually, the maximum residue limit has been fixed at 0.1 micromilligram per litre and for total pesticide residues the limit is 0.5 micromilligram a litre.  However, these limits set by BIS will become statutory only after the requisite notification is issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that the launch of the Railways' bottled water brand -- Railneer -- would be put off for some time to study the fresh BIS guidelines.

He, however, added that their bottled water would  be the first to satisfy the proposed new norms. He claimed that the Central Ground Water Board has already cleared the quality of the ground water that the department was tapping for its plant in Danapur and Nangloi.

Nitish said the Railways' decision to launch bottled water was prompted by an internal study on the level of contamination in the bottled water that was being supplied by the vendors.

The manufacturer will have to produce a 'no objection certificate' from the central or state government ground water authority for obtaining the bureau's certification.

Meanwhile, the government is also deliberating on whether the new standards should be made applicable immediately and bottles already in the market under old standards withdrawn or ample time given to the bottling companies.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Wajahat Habibullah said the decision to be taken soon on the issue hinged on the possible hazards to public health.

The manufacturer will have to produce to the bis a 'no objection certificate' from the central or state government ground water authority for obtaining the bureau's certification.

Meanwhile, the government is also deliberating on whether the new standards should be made applicable immediately and bottles already in the market under old standards withdrawn or ample time given to the bottling companies.

Consumer affairs secretary wajahat habibullah said the decision to be taken shortly on this issue hinges on possible hazards to public health.

The old bis standards stated that no pesticide residues should be detected by the specified methods in the indian standard. The methods of detection of pesticide residue are mainly through gas or liquid chromatography. The detection limits of these methods range from 0.01 parts per million to 0.1 parts per million.

The independent ngo survey has done the pesticide residues analysis based on eu standard which specifies the limit of 0.0005 ppm and can only be detected by a more sophisticated equipment like the gas chromatograph.

Since september 2000, mandatory bis certification under the pfa act is required. The standard covers micro-biological, physical and chemical safety. However these standards were last formulated only in 1998 and amended in december 1999 to cover natural mineral water. These have been followed by amendments last week.

A detailed and complex procedure is followed to arrive at the standards made by the drinks and carbonated beverages sectional committee and approved by the food and agricultural division council (fad) in the bis, amdist controversy over the quality of packaged and bottled drinking water, government has identified 32 pesticides, prescribing limits for their traces collectively and individually in the commodity.

Official sources here said the standards are yet to be notified and their applicability either immediate or after a time lag is yet to be decided upon.

The 32 pesticides include malathion, ddt, parathion, bhc, fenitrothion, carbaryl, aldicarb, methyl parathion, carbofuran, dimethoate and phosalone.

Other pesticides are monocrotophos, ethion, dichlorvos, propoxur, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, fenthion, phosphomidon, endosulfan and cypermethrin.

The list also includes deltamethrin, fenavalerate, permethrin, atrazine, simazine, captafol, acephate, dithiocarbamate, metalaxyl, fosetylal and lindane.

For pesticides residues considered individually, the maximum residue limit has been fixed at 0.1 micromilligram per litre and for total pesticide residues the limit is 0.5 micromilligram a litre.

However, these limits set by bureau of indian standards will become statuory only after the requisite notification is issued by ministry of health and family welfare.

The analysis for these pesticides shall be conducted by an accredited laboratory using internationally estiablished test methods meeting the new residues limits.