At a time when the government is all set to protect the water bodies in the state, a wholly-owned company of the government is ready to establish a bottled drinking water plant defying all rules and norms. The Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (KIIDC), which comes under the Water Resources Department, had floated tenders for setting up a packaged/bottled drinking water plant near Malankara dam in Idukki district, for which it had no powers. Moreover, the company is learnt to have not conducted an environmental impact assessment, which is said to be mandatory for all projects. The company had floated tenders two times in February and March this year for the bottling plant even when as per the company’s MoA such a project could not be set up. It was only in the board meeting of August 27 that a resolution was passed, including the setting up of the plant in the MoA. As per the Companies Act, this is seen as a gross violation.
Denying the allegations, KIIDC Managing Director P Anil Kumar said: ‘’ A resolution was passed on August 27 with regard to the inclusion of the packaged/bottled drinking water plant in the objectives of the company. There is no legal tangle in calling the tenders earlier. In the MoA, the objective of drinking water is included, which means the company can undertake any project with regard to it.’’ When asked why a resolution was passed only on August 27 for incorporating it, he told ‘Express’ that it was done only for getting ISI certification. Otherwise, objections could have been raised. On the environmental impact assessment, Anil Kumar did not clearly state if a study in this regard had been done. ‘’The clearance of the Pollution Control Board has been received. The plant will be set up adhering to the River Conservation and Water Conservation Acts,’’ he said.
All the guidelines for getting ISI certification have been followed. However, sources said that it was only the quality of water that was looked at for getting ISI certification and it was not related to environmental impact.
