With over 1,600 Indians reportedly dying every day because of waterborne diseases, and with the Government’s inability to provide clean drinking water to its citizens, bottled water, a product which is out of reach for the majority of the Indian population, appears to be attempting to provide the answer to the problem.
Water in India: a PowerPoint Presentation
In India, the per capita bottled water consumption is still quite low – around five litres a year as compared to the global average of 24 litres. Yet it is one of the country’s fastest-growing industries and is worth Rs. 1,000 crores, and growing at approximately 40-50 per cent a year.
With globalization opening up the market, there are more than 200 brands competing with each other, each trying to outdo the other in terms of marketing and promotions. About 80 per cent of the bottled water brands are locally produced in the small-scale sector. Out of this a very large segment produces unbranded products which cater to small markets.
Concentrated in water starved areas
Bottling plants are concentrated in the more water starved areas like the southern parts of the country, specially Tamil Nadu. Its consumption is linked to the levels of prosperity in different regions. Western India thus accounts for 40 percent of bottled water sale, while in eastern India it is a meager 10 per cent.
Comes at a cost to heath and the environment
Bottled water is not only beyond the means of the poor in India, but it comes with a tremendous cost to heath and the environment. To produce one liter of bottled water three liters of fresh water are needed. This contributes significantly to depleting groundwater levels and decreasing the downstream water supply.
Globalization may have opened the doors for multinationals to lead the bottled water market in India, but here’s what it takes to produce and transport a bottle of imported water – 26.88 kilograms of water, 0.849 kg of fossil fuel and 562 grams of greenhouse gas emissions!
Moreover almost 90 per cent of the bottles are not recycled. Since plastic is not biodegradable they will remain with us forever.
