Amid concerns triggered by deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore, BJP leader and former MLA Sardar R P Singh has advised the Delhi government to consider supplying bottled water to residents of the national capital.

Singh told PTI that he has written to Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, urging him to examine the proposal, and has also sent a reminder.

The BJP spokesperson and former Rajinder Nagar MLA suggested that free bottled water could be funded through advertisements on bottles and supported by an app-based booking system for safe drinking water.

“No matter how much attention is paid to repairing the water pipelines, contamination from sewer lines and other sources is always a strong possibility. Bottled water will ensure that the people receive drinking water safely,” Singh said.

He also pointed out that many households further treat Delhi Jal Board water through reverse osmosis systems.

"The health of poor people is, however, at stake as they can not install costly RO machines and remain dependent on unsafe drinking water or are forced to buy bottled water from private manufacturers, the quality of which is questionable," he said.

Purification of water through RO machines at home requires thousands of rupees as maintenance charges, he said.

Despite advanced technology, the water pipelines are prone to corrosion, leakages and admixing of sewerage flowing through underlying drainage pipelines, he said.

Singh said he has also suggested that the government set up water ATMs across the city to provide safe drinking water and also ensure home delivery on nominal charges. A large number of employment opportunities will be generated through this activity, he added.