Left with a bad taste in the mouth after slaking thirst

Another complaint is about hotels supplying bottles under their own brand, and with exorbitant prices

Recent injunction by the Telangana State government against ripping off the customers by eateries in the name of drinking water does not seem to have had much effect.

Reason is one gap in the orders, permitting sale of bottled drinking water at the maximum retail price printed on the bottle.

Taking shelter under the clause, several eateries in and around the city are charging a bomb for very expensive water, making it the only option available for the hapless customers. The trend is especially more on the outskirts and highways, with outstation travellers being the obvious target.

“I recently visited a newly established tiffin centre close to the ORR near Pedda Amberpet. When I asked for water bottle, she showed me a bottle with MRP of ₹55. The only other option was the tap water, and I had my doubts about the quality. The area did not have any other shops where I can buy regular bottled water. Finally, I had to shell out the amount for mere 750 ml bottle,” shared M. Srinivas, a resident of LB Nagar.

Another complaint is about hotels supplying bottles under their own brand, and with exorbitant prices. In fact, the day the government orders were issued, social media was agog with complaints about hotels and restaurants selling water with very high MRP.

“This [the order] is just for the namesake. There are water plants in Hyderabad which print the restaurant’s name and supply bottles of substandard water with MRP of ₹50. The consumers always get fooled and looted. There’s no stopping [sic],” a Twitter user with the name Raviteja commented.

Another user mentioned that a newly opened bar and restaurant in Jubilee Hills area charged ₹350 for one single bottle of water, and pointed out that mere enforcement of MRP is not sufficient. Customers should be given options among brands and prices.