NGT and RO Purifiers Issue

A recent order from the National Green Tribunal banning water purifiers leads to punitive measures against water purifiers, particularly RO water purifiers. While it is the responsibility of the central government to regulate and prepare guidelines in relation to the quality of drinking water available in this country, a lot has been left for interpretation by different stakeholders, and no clear direction has been provided. Therefore due to ambiguity, many manufacturers have stopped selling RO water purifiers in India. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed as demineralised water is not healthy for consumption.

About RO

Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifiers are special machines that can extract clean and high-quality water from sea or river water. The key benefit of the RO water purifier is that it can directly purify sea or river water without any pollutants. Another positive feature of RO Water Purifiers is that they can be used to filter any other kind of water other than sea or river water. The petition for the RO water purifier ban in India is filed as the RO purifier also depletes the water from important minerals essential for the human body.

About National Green Tribunal

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is an Indian environmental court set up under the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010. It is intended to be a fast-track court dedicated to resolving civil cases relating to environmental protection and conservation. The National Green Tribunal was established to look into environmental issues and other problems related to the country. It is an independent judicial forum that listens to citizens’ concerns and makes decisions on those concerns.

About Central Pollution Control Board

The Central Pollution Control Board is an agency mandated by the Government of India to ensure the quality of air, water, and land in India. The Central Pollution Control Board was established under Section 3 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

The Central Pollution Control Board is also known as CPCB. 

RO Water Purifier Ban in India

The National Green Tribunal has issued a ban on the use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifiers in India from December 2020 onwards. The Central Pollution Control Board had ordered the RO water purifier ban in India due to uncertainty about the safety of these water purifiers that have been used in India since their invention.

The reasoning behind this decision is that these RO water purifiers are destroying natural minerals and increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart problems, and kidney ailments. The primary concern is that the process of purification by reverse osmosis creates a high biological demand for minerals. This biological demand can be dangerous to health if the minerals become polluted or their organic compounds are not removed.

The National Green Tribunal has also stated that the unboiled water contains other pollutants and contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and industrial chemicals, which are causing problems in drinking quality water.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, they have been observing the use of RO water purifiers in India since its invention and not just recently. Research and tests were carried out to determine its effects on human health, after which this decision was made.

The National Green Tribunal has declared that all RO water purifiers will be banned in the whole of India by December 2020.

The decision has been met with some backlash as many people have come to depend on RO water purifiers for their families. As a result, some have pointed out that the Central Pollution Control Board should not make such decisions unilaterally, especially if they concern public health.

Several tests and research have been carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board, which include surveys, lab tests, in-depth studies, and observations. This is due to the fact that these RO water purifiers have been introduced in India since their invention. After decades of use, no research has been done on its effects on human health.

So far, many countries have banned or taken measures against them due to the negative health effects.

The TDS (Total dissolved solids) in water is said to be excellent when it is below 300. If the TDS level is 900 or above, then it is said to be bad. The areas where the TDS is 500 or around 500 do not need RO purification as RO purification is also eliminating all important minerals from the water. 

The area where the TDS is under 350 needs very little TDS to be removed from the water. 

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) also issued an advisory asking people not to use RO water purifiers as it depletes groundwater resources.

The ministry also stated that these purifiers are detrimental to health because they remove both essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc in addition to harmful elements like lead, mercury, and arsenic.

Conclusion

The Central Pollution Control Board and National Green Tribunal in India have banned RO (Reverse Osmosis) water purifiers. The petition for an RO water purifier ban in India was proposed because it was observed that the RO water purifier filters out all the necessary minerals from the water essential for health and thus, reduces its quality. Many believe that RO purifiers may not be completely pure as they might get contaminated with substances like chlorine while being transported. The Central Pollution Control Board also wants to control how much groundwater is extracted every year by companies making these products.