INTRODUCTION
It is needless to mention that water, a compound of Hydrogen and Oxygen is a precious natural gift which is very essential for survival of mankind including animals. The water used for potable purposes should be free from undesirable impurities. The water available from untreated sources such
as Well, Boreholes and Spring is generally not hygienic and safe for drinking. Thus it is desirable and necessary to purify the water and supply under hygienic conditions for human drinking purpose.
As the name implies, the mineral water is the purified water fortified with requisite amounts of minerals such as Barium, Iron, Manganese, etc. which can be absorbed by human body. It is either obtained from natural resources like spring and drilled wells or it is fortified artificially by blending and treating with mineral salts. The mineral water shall be manufactured and packed under hygienic
conditions in properly washed and cleaned bottles in sterilised conditions.
MARKET POTENTIAL
Unfortunately sufficient safe potable water is not available everywhere in the country, either harmful chemical substances are found in the layers of earth which enter into water or it may be contaminated due to pathogenic micro-organisms. If such water is consumed, the body suffers from water born diseases. Due to this, it has become imperative to process and bottle safe potable water for the mankind in prevailing conditions. The demand for purified water becomes more during summer season. Although few companies have already entered in the bottling of safe potable water and mineralised water, but still huge gap is there in between demand and supply at all metropolitan-cities and towns. The product is widely accepted in offices, restaurants, railway stations, airport, bus stands, hospitals and to some extent even in rich house-holds. So there is good scope for establishing
the units for processing and bottling plain and mineralised drinking water in different parts of the country.
BASIS AND PRESUMPTIONS
This project has been drawn on the basis of following presumptions.
1 Working hours : 8 per shift
2 Number of : 3 shift/day
3 Number of : 300 Working days per annum
4 Total number of : 72 working hours
5 Working : 75% efficiency
6 Total period for : Third year achieving from maximum the date of capacity commencement
utilisation of production.
7 Margin money : 25% of Capital Investment
8 Rate of Interest : 15% per annum of Capital
9 Construction Cost of Building, Cost of Land, Labour Charges and Cost of Plant, Machinery and equipment have been considered as per prevailing rates in the market.
10 Cost of Installation and Electrification of Machinery and Equipment has been taken at the rate of 10% of the cost of Plant and Machinery.
11 Operative period of the project has been considered as 7 years.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
It is expected that total time of about 9 months will be taken from the date of approval of the scheme for complete implementation. Break-up of the activities and relative time for each of
them is shown below:
Nature of Time Period
Activity (in months)
1. Preparation of Project 0-1 month and its approval
2. SSI Provisional 1-3 months Registration
3. Sanction of Loan 2-5 months
4. Clearance from 2-5 months Pollution Control Board and taking permission from Municipal Health
Authority/BIS etc.
5. Placement Order for 4-6 months machinery of equipment
6. Installation of machin- 6-8 months ery and equipment
7. Power connection 2-6 months arrangement from Electricity Board
8. Appointment of staff 5-8 months etc.
9. Trial run 8-9 months
10.Commencement of 9 months Production and perma- onwards nent registration/marketing
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Processing and Bottling Raw water to be processed is collected in tanks. A known quantity is pumped into the above tank where the water is dozed with alum for coagulation with heavy metals or insoluable matters. The water after coagulation is allowed to settle for an hour. The impurities may
be removed by Reverse Osmosis techniques also. The supernatant water is taken to the chlorination tank where primary disinfection is brought about by bubbling chlorine gas. The water is then passed through sand filters for trapping of undissolved impurities. The water after sand filteration is passed through Carbon filters for removal of odour, colour and also for dechlorination. It is then passed
through series of micro fillers comprising 5 micron, 1 micron and 0.4 micron filter followed by ultraviolet disinfection system for terminal disinfection. Packing is done in PET bottles of 1 litre capacity through an automatic rinsing, filling, and capping machine fitted with an Ozone generator. The bottles after capping are shrink wrapped (Optional) and packed in corrugated boxes of one dozen each.