Pesticides in our food

There is never any end to learning. And so, surprises. We have learnt, over 20 years, that environmental governance in India is lackadaisical. Still, the extent of irresponsibility never fails to surprise.

PepsiCo to shell out more for water in Maharashtra

On September 12, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by PepsiCo India, questioning increased water charges with retrospective effect from 2001. They must now clear Rs 70 lakh as arrears in water bills. A 2009, the Bombay High Court directive had upheld the Maharashtra government'ss decision to charge industries which use water as a raw material (soft drinks, mineral water) a higher rate (ten times the existing) with effect from September 2001. Against this decision, PepsiCo filed the appeal in the Supreme Court.

Bottled water costs us the earth

The botted water industry is global in nature. But it is designed to sell the same product to two completely different markets one water rich and the other water scarce. The question is whether this industry will have different outcomes in these two worlds. Or will we, for two opposite reasons, agree that their business costs us the earth and that it is not good for us?

Double disregard

in a remarkable verdict, the Sindh High Court recently stopped multinational company Nestle from setting up a water extracting plant in Karachi's Gadap area for manufacturing bottled water for the us troops in Afghanistan. The plant would have led to depletion of the aquifer in the dry region, and caused acute water shortage for farmers as well as the "Education City" constructed there.

Withdrawal symptom

COCA COLA'S British operation has withdrawn 500,000 bottles of Dasani water from the market, after bromate levels higher than the standard were detected in the product. Bromate is a derivative of bromide, and increases cancer risk over long-term exposure. Dasani was launched in UK in December last year, and had a controversy-ridden existence. Consumers were shocked to know that the cola giant was selling 'purified' tap water, at a price 30 times higher than that of London tap water!

"Industries are not for the welfare of the consumer"

On the CSE study on pesticides in bottled water The fact that nobody has confronted the study speaks for itself. It is a case of a non-governmental organisation doing all that is possible within its limitations to highlight an issue of public concern. We see the study as a warning from friendly quarters and accept it as such. There is no point in being arrogant. It is for the government to act now, to take this to its logical conclusion and ensure that the interests of the consumers are protected. Interviewee:  Sharad Yadav