The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order prohibiting the use of RO filters where total dissolved solids (TDS) in water are below 500 mg per litre. The court asked RO manufacturers association to move Centre with their representation before any notification is issued.
A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman declined to stay the NGT order.
The counsel for manufacturers association contended that the NGT has imposed a blanket ban, and RO water is used for many medical purposes especially useful in dialysis.
"RO removes heavy material from water. It is useful in treating contaminated water," said the counsel insisting it has abundant material to support its case.
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The court directed the Centre to consider the representation from the association before passing any notification. The association will submit the material within 10 days and directs the government to consider it's representation before passing any notification.
In an order issued in May this year, the NGT instructed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to notify prohibiting the use of drinking water prepared through reverse osmosis (RO) systems in areas where the amount of total dissolved solids was less than 500 mg per litre.
According to a report in DownToEarth, the NGT asked the government to lay down a requirement for RO systems manufacturers that the recovery of treated water is at least 60 per cent and not more than 40 per cent should go as waste.
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Bureau of Industry Standards (BIS) had in 2015 issued standards, according to which the water recovery by ROs had to be 20 per cent only.
(With IANS Inputs)
