Water is worth its weight in gold! – My visit to the Bisleri plant

Over the last few years, climate change has taken a toll on our environment with several groundwater resources in our country going dry. In cities like Chennai, water has become more expensive than gold, and it is alarming to see a basic necessity become so scarce.

I have always been particular about the water I use at home, and even more critical of packaged drinking water when I travel. Several news reports show that not every packaged bottle of drinking water is pure. My journeys across the country have made this evident.

Posts on social media also show how water from garden taps is filled into plastic bottles and sold as mineral water.

Recently, the Health Department of Mumbai shut down a few water packaging plants as they were selling unsafe drinking water. It is scary how such an essential resource is manipulated because at the end of the day, it is us who will suffer the consequences of our actions.

Last week, I was telling my kids that they need to be careful of the water they drink. Water may contain impurities and germs which can’t be seen with naked eyes and can lead to serious illnesses. I taught them that water isn’t always safe to drink. Awareness about water purity can prevent a whole gamut of water-borne diseases. At the end of our conversation, my elder son had an interesting question. He asked, “If we can’t see germs and impurities, then how will we know whether it’s of good quality or not?” It was a question which got me thinking.

Recently, I read about the BMC claiming that Mumbaikars can now drink water straight from the tap. Though it seems like a tall claim, it is reassuring to know that the water supplied to our homes has been tested for purity. However, I still continue to use my water filter at home, just to be satisfied that my family is drinking doubly purified water.

But, this doesn’t solve the issues we face while travelling. Our weekend getaways and family vacations are usually out of Mumbai, and one of my biggest concerns has always been the purity of the water we drink.

There was a month to go before our next weekend getaway, so I decided to find the answer to my son’s question. Through a friend, I got in touch with an employee of Bisleri and asked if I could see how their packaged drinking water is purified. I was pleasantly surprised at their willingness to offer a tour of their plant to my family. I chose Bisleri due to two reasons – first, I had contacts, and second, growing up I remember Bisleri being the only packaged drinking water available on our school trips. So, instead of saying “Please give me water!”, we would say “Please pass me the Bisleri bottle!”.

On the mutually agreed date, I took my boys along and we had a very interesting experience. The packaging facility at Bisleri is huge. I had no idea that the water, as well as the packaging bottles, go through a strict cleaning process to maintain purity. Our guide explained the process as we went along. Although my kids weren’t allowed in certain areas due to safety protocols, I saw everything and was really impressed with their purity standards.

Bisleri water goes through 114 checks of purity that ensure that each bottle that moves out of the facility has the same purity. We also had several doubts pertaining to the difference between boiled water and mineral water. We had an interesting question and answer round with the Bisleri team where all queries were solved. We now know that boiled water isn’t as safe as we’ve always believed it was.

By the end of our tour, I was very happy to be able to answer my son’s question about the water to drink while travelling. I know now that I can trust Bisleri with their state-of-the-art water purification techniques. This makes the choice simple and straightforward for me and my kids!! Ab Har Maa Jaanti Hain Har Paani Ki bottle Bisleri Nahin.

 

 

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