Kerala Bottled Water Manufacturers Association (KBWA has decided to reduce the retail price of bottled water to ₹12 from the current rate of ₹20 with effect from April 2.

The current price reduction was in consideration of moral obligations and requests from the government post-implementation of GST. Hence, from the announced date, one litre of bottled water will have an MRP of ₹12 only, KBWA office bearers told.

Initially, a litre of bottled water was ₹10 which was increased gradually to ₹12, 15, 17 & 20.

However, the real beneficiaries of the price hike was the big corporate and middlemen, they said.

It is a myth that only a higher price ensures quality. Packaged drinking water can be manufactured and retailed only adhering to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) IS14543.

The decision to cut price was effected without any compromise in quality. It is a painful fact that while there are numerous entities that use water, only bottled water manufacturers are pictured as exploiters draining water resources, said KBWA leaders.

KBWA officials also warned that since multi-national bottlers are unlikely to bring down their MRP, there could be orchestrated scandals against the companies that sell at the lower price.

In spite of that, KBWA requested the public to buy only bottled water priced at the reduced ₹12.

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