NEW DELHI (TIP): The Madras High Court quashed the petition filed to ban water supply to multinational cola makers #PepsiCo and #CocaCola in Tamil Nadu, while the retailers of the state stopped selling their beverages.

While the move is seen as a nationalistic measure to ban foreign companies to support Indian beverage makers, the Court restored water supply for continued production, of what trade associations called unhealthy beverages, which was responsible for the depleting water level in the state’s rivers.

The petition was filed Tirunelveli District Consumer Protection Association secretary DA Prabhkar, argued that the beverage makers were drawing water at subsidised rates, and leaving farmlands parched.

Separately, the ban, which was triggered during the Jallikatu protests as youths in large number supported the bull-taming game, might take a “swadeshi” turn if it is backed by the young population of Tamil Nadu, who are the largest consumers of cola.

The ban was called by two of the largest trade associations of Tamil Nadu — the Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders Associations (FTNTA) and the Tamil Nadu Traders Associations Forum (TNTAF).

A FTNTA spokesperson said foreign-made drinks are not good for health and added that the associations will promote Indian soft drinks and juices, and their manufacturing. They would also urge more retailers to push sales of Indian drinks over foreign drinks.

Meanwhile, the petition said that large beverage makers drew three million litres every day, which is not helping the farmers. To put things in context, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Tamil Nadu is $250 billion, the second largest in the country, which has 21% of its contribution from agriculture.

The cola companies did not make any comment on the situation.

However, the Indian Beverages Association, in a statement, defending Coca-Cola and Pepsi, “Coca-Cola and PepsiCo India together provide direct employment to 2,000 families in Tamil Nadu and more than 5,000 families indirectly, through their extensive supply chain. They also play a critical role in improving the livelihood of over 2 lakh retailers, who earn more than Rs. 400 crores in income by selling products manufactured by the two companies. The companies also sustain the interests of thousands of Tamil farmers, by procuring agri-produce.”