Production and sales of ‘Hilly Aqua,’ the bottled water brand of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) will be stepped up, Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine said on Thursday. Hilly Aqua will continue to be sold at ₹13 per litre, he added.
The Minister’s announcement has come a day after the Kerala High Court stayed a State government order capping the retail price of bottled water in the State at ₹13 per litre.
Mr. Augustine said the government does not intend to increase the price of its ‘Hilly Aqua’ brand.
KIIDC functions under the Irrigation Department.
At present, the Thodupuzha plant of ‘Hilly Aqua’ produces one and two litre bottles, and the Aruvikkara plant, 20-litre jars. By January, KIIDC will start production of one-litre bottles from the Aruvikkara plant and 500 ml bottles from Thodupuzha.
The aim is to supply good quality bottled water to the public at a reasonable rate, he said.
‘Hilly Aqua’ is sold for ₹10 per litre at the food outlets of the Prisons Department, the direct outlet of ‘Hilly Aqua’ in Thodupuzha, distributors’ outlets in Ernakulam and Idukki districts and the outlet run by the Secretariat Employees' Cooperative Society in Thiruvananthapuram.
The 20-litre jar is priced at ₹60. It is designed for offices, households and commercial establishments.
