PHE dept starts packaging 4 lakh bottles of drinking water for healthcare workers

Kolkata: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, state Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has started production of 4 lakh bottles of packaged drinking water 'Prandhara' daily. It would be supplied to people involved in essential services including doctors and health workers at different hospitals.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday had directed that necessary initiatives should be taken by the state PHE department in this regard. Following the Chief Minister's direction, the department has started working in a war footing to ensure maximum production in each of the 10 plants across the state under its directorate. This comes when production of other packaged drinking water is not taking place at usual pace due to the lockdown.

Two of the 10 plants are closest to the city, at Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas and Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas. According to a senior state government official, packaged drinking water to the city hospitals and other essential areas will be taking place mainly from these two units.

"Distribution of the bottle will initially take place among those who are involved in essential services and including doctors and health workers at different hospitals. Policemen and traffic personnel, who are relentlessly performing their duties and also conservancy workers who are busy working day and night to keep the area clean," the official said, adding that the production of the same takes place as per the requirement.

For example, lakhs of pouches of safe drinking water that gets distributed at Sagar Island during Gangasagar Mela is manufactured by these units. Now, all units will produce to its maximum capacity as the requirement is at its peak.

Pouches of safe drinking water with the same brand name will also be produced to distribute among people visiting hospitals. Demand for packaged drinking water would go up as temperature in the state is rising with the onset of summer.

There are plants in different parts of certain districts both in north and south Bengal. In north Bengal, there is a plant at Siliguri. Concerned district magistrates have also been directed to monitor the distribution of bottles of packaged drinking water from the plants. The district magistrates will take steps if there is a requirement in any health establishments in their districts.