Packaged drinking water unit in Hyderabad fails safety check

The unit scored 101 out of 158 marks, or 64 percent, in the hygiene assessment.

Hyderabad: A packaged drinking water unit in Gajularamaram has been directed to rectify multiple compliance gaps and resubmit its application after a pre-license inspection by the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation Food Safety team found incomplete documentation, missing certifications, and hygiene deficiencies at the facility.

The inspection of Natural Aqua, located at Rodamestry Nagar near Gajularamaram Circle, was conducted on June 22 as part of CMC’s ongoing food safety drive across Cyberabad. The unit scored 101 out of 158 marks, or 64 percent, in the hygiene assessment.

Inspectors found that food handlers were not wearing head caps, gloves, or aprons, and that the bottling unit lacked proper barriers or mesh to prevent the entry of pests and dust. Pest control records, medical fitness certificates for staff, and cleaning schedule records were all unavailable at the time of inspection.

On the documentation side, the unit had not obtained a No Objection Certificate for groundwater extraction. The water analysis report submitted was found to be incomplete, with no microbial analysis included. The FSSAI licence for the vehicle was not available, the NABL certification for packing materials was not produced, and the application documents were not properly self-attested.

The inspection also noted several good practices at the facility, including properly sloped flooring with no water stagnation, wastewater diverted into a rainwater-harvesting pit, and walls and ceilings free of dust and cobwebs.

CMC officials collected drinking water samples for laboratory analysis. The food business operator has been instructed to address all observations and resubmit the application with complete documentation for further processing.