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The Chairman of the Oversight Committee on Water Resources in Parliament, Hon Lahai Marah, has urged the Electricity and Water Regulator Commission (EWRC) Director, Mr. Manna, to take stringent actions against defiant water companies who do not want to comply with the Standards Bureau and EWRC protocols set to produce water for public consumption.
Hon Marah made the disclosure on Wednesday, 26th January 2022 when addressing a cross section of water producing companies and the Water Union at the Administrative Building in parliament.
Hon Marah maintained that the reason for the summoning of these companies by the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Water Resources is to look into the legal operation of some of these sachet water companies, adding that it is also due to the proliferation of unclean water in the markets across the country.
According to the committee chairman, the EWRC should make sure that all sachet water producing companies follow all strict procedures and regulatory framework before setting up.
The MP furthered that EWRC and the Standards Bureau with the help of the Water Union backed by Parliament should embark on exercise to enforce the provisions of the EWRC Act and shut down non-compliant water factories that have failed to obtain a license from the commission to operate such businesses.
Lahai Marah pointed out that he has found out that majority of water producing companies violated the provisions of the SLEWERC Act and Standards Bureau frameworks.
According to Lahai Marah, Parliament has several times warned that few water producers have been compliant with the law, adding that parliament and EWRC have instituted flexible regulations in recent times so as to encourage these companies to come to their office to register as well as adhere to the commission’s framework , but to no avail
It was also discovered that out of the over 200 sachet water companies producing drinking water in the country, only few were certified by EWRC and the Standards Bureau.
He pointed out that his committee hopes to work with the few serious water producing companies to ensure that they produce adequate and pure drinking water fit for public consumption in the country.
He revealed that his committee has been summoning EWRC several times on the basis that they allowed companies to operate even though they are not fully certified adding that the parliament is now asking EWRC to shut down companies on the basis of noncompliance with the standards set.
He further revealed that this time around through collaboration with the relevant authorities, including EWRC they intend to ensure that said companies are shut down for good, adding: ‘if any company goes against the law it shall face the full penalty of the law.’
Hon Marah, however, intimated that with the turnout of well certified water producing companies at the committee hearing, the Parliamentary Committee is now assured that water companies that passed clinical testing and compliant with the licensing regulations of the EWRC are success stories .
According to Nightwatch Newspaper, he urged the Union to unite and help support in enforcing and making sure that those who had been flouting the standard procedures aren’t allowed to continue producing water.
