Srinagar: The Food Safety Department, Jammu and Kashmir, has imposed an immediate ban on the sale, storage, and distribution of the packaged drinking water brand Ajwa after laboratory tests confirmed bacterial contamination in samples collected from Srinagar.
Officials said the water sample tested positive for E. coli and Coliform bacteria, indicating possible fecal contamination. The prohibition order, issued on December 10, 2025, follows analysis conducted at the National Food Testing Laboratory in Ghaziabad, which flagged the product as unsafe for human consumption.
Health authorities warned that consumption of contaminated water can lead to serious illnesses, including diarrhea, vomiting, gastrointestinal infections, and in severe cases, kidney failure or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
All wholesalers, retailers, and food business operators have been directed to immediately stop selling the product and report their existing stock to the department within 48 hours. The ban has been enforced under relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and will remain in force until further notice.
Officials noted that such contamination may occur due to sewage mixing, animal or human waste, or seepage from polluted water channels. The public has been strongly advised not to purchase or consume Ajwa packaged drinking water.
The department said it is continuing strict surveillance of drinking water quality and reiterated that safeguarding public health remains its top priority.
