People in the urban and rural areas of the country are drinking all sorts of water, hygienic and unhygienic, potable or otherwise, without bothering in the least as to what it may contain. Besides natural water, tap water and boiled water, the bottled mineral water is becoming essential with soft drinks. This increase in demand has increased the price of mineral water, though it is supposed to be natural water. Despite the high price of mineral water it is used in most of the functions, offices and at restaurants and hotels.Some imported water filter systems are also becoming popular for residential and official use. The bottled mineral water should come from filtration plants; this should be safe and healthy as it retains all its natural minerals. In a country such as Pakistan, which does not have very effective Food and Drug Authority, to keep a check on the quality of food and drink items, PCSIR Laboratories in the public sector and other laboratories in the private sector in the larger public interest should test this water. Some years back, PCSIR Laboratories tested different bottled water and found them unhealthy, unfit for human consumption. Will someone take this into consideration and inform the public which water is fit to drink.KAMRAN KHAN, Lahore, October 10.