On 27 October 2026, Kashmir Observer and Kashmir Life reported that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, had suspended the FSSAI licence of a packaged drinking water unit at Kakan Maran in Budgam district. The unit has been told to stop all activity at its premises until further orders.
The reasons given are not exotic. They are gaps that many small water plants carry every day: thin testing, incomplete records and a capping machine that lets bottles leak. That is why this case is worth a few minutes of any plant owner's time.
What was reported
According to the two reports, a Food Safety Officer inspected the unit after a complaint. The inspection found:
- shortcomings in water quality testing and monitoring;
- gaps in food safety management and mandatory record-keeping, including failure to produce documents for verification;
- defects in the bottle-capping and sealing mechanism that caused leakage.
Kashmir Observer reports that the inspection took place on 5 October and a show-cause notice followed on 7 October. Both reports say the operator did not reply within the time allowed. The Designated Officer, Food Safety, Budgam then suspended the licence under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The FDA also noted that packaged drinking water is a high-risk food category.
This is a separate case from the J&K FDA's sealing of a unit at IGC Lassipora, Pulwama, reported on 27 September 2026, where the department said the licence on the bottles had been issued for fruit and vegetable trading, not water manufacturing.
The law behind the order
Section 32 of the FSS Act deals with improvement notices. In short:
- 32(1): the Designated Officer can serve an improvement notice listing the failures and the steps needed, with at least 14 days to comply.
- 32(2): if the operator does not comply, the licence may be suspended.
- 32(3): if the operator still does not comply, the licence can be cancelled after a show-cause opportunity. A proviso allows the officer to suspend a licence immediately in the interest of public health, with reasons recorded in writing.
- 32(4): an operator aggrieved by a notice, suspension or cancellation can appeal to the Commissioner of Food Safety.
We explain each stage, and how to respond, in our guide to FSSAI licence suspension at a water plant.
Why capping and records matter so much for PDW
Packaged drinking water has been in FSSAI's high-risk food categories since the order of 29 November 2024, which brings pre-licence inspection, annual risk-based inspection and, for central licensees, an annual third-party audit (see BIS no longer mandatory: the high-risk rules). Since 1 January 2026, FSSAI's Scheme of Testing also requires monthly microbiological testing, source-water testing at FSSAI-notified NABL labs and records kept for five years (our testing calendar sets this out).
A leaking cap is not a cosmetic issue. If the seal fails, the product inside is no longer protected, and an inspector can see the problem on the shelf in seconds. Missing records are just as visible: if a plant cannot show its test reports, the officer has no way to confirm the water was ever tested.
What this means for water plant owners
| Gap reported in Budgam | What to keep ready at your plant |
|---|---|
| Water quality testing and monitoring | Monthly microbiological reports, source-water reports from an FSSAI-notified NABL lab, and your in-house daily test log (TDS, pH, chlorine/ozone where used) |
| Missing records / documents not produced | A single file (paper or digital) with licence, test reports, cleaning and sanitation logs, batch records, pest control and staff medical records, kept for five years |
| Capping and sealing defects | Daily cap torque or leak checks, a record of rejected bottles, and a maintenance log for the capper and sealing machine |
| No reply to show-cause notice | One named person who reads every notice, plus a written reply sent within the stated time, even if corrective work is still in progress |
Three practical steps:
- Run a mock inspection. Ask someone outside production to request your last three months of test reports and batch records. Time how long it takes.
- Test your seals daily. A simple squeeze or inversion check on sample bottles from each shift, written down, shows both control and diligence.
- Never ignore a notice. In the reported Budgam case, the lack of a reply came before the suspension. A reply that admits the gap and sets out a dated corrective plan is far better than silence.
Also confirm your licence category matches your activity and turnover. From 1 April 2026, FSSAI limits are registration up to Rs 1.5 crore, State licence Rs 1.5-50 crore and Central licence above Rs 50 crore (see FSSAI licence).
How ClearPath Compliance India can help
We carry out pre-inspection audits for packaged drinking water plants, set up testing calendars and record formats that match the Scheme of Testing, and help draft replies to improvement and show-cause notices. We also handle the other approvals a plant needs, including CGWA NOC and Pollution Control Board consent. Our PDW plant licence service lists every approval in order. Contact us to book a plant audit.
Sources
- Kashmir Observer: FDA suspends Budgam water unit's licence over safety violations (27 Oct 2026)
- Kashmir Life: FDA suspends licence of packaged drinking water unit in Kashmir (27 Oct 2026)
- Dynamite News: Pulwama water plant sealed over FSSAI licence (27 Sep 2026)
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Section 32 (text)
General information only, not legal advice. Rules and case details are as reported by the sources on the dates stated; check the current notification and your licence conditions before acting. Brand and business names, if any, are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by any brand named.