NEW DELHI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Trade bodies in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have banned sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in a bid to boost local products.
The ban came into force Wednesday with soft drinks from two multinational companies going off the shelf from state's thousands of small shops and retail outlets.
The ban was proposed by the state's top two trade bodies -- the Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders Associations (FTNTA) and the Tamil Nadu Traders Associations Forum (TNTAF).
The trade organisations blame soft drinks companies for exploiting too much water resource and thereby affecting farmers who grapple hard to irrigate their farmland.
"These companies exploit lot of water resources and right now there is water shortage in the state which has pushed farmers to wall," Tha Vellaiyan, president of FTNTA, told Xinhua over telephone from Chennai.
"And these companies come up with the products that are hazardous to health that is why we are asking our people to stop selling it."
Reports said over a million shopkeepers are expected to follow the ban order, while big supermarkets and restaurants have sought more time.
In January this year, the local government in Tamil Nadu declared all districts of the state drought-hit following a deficit in the northeast monsoon in 2016.
Traders believe the ban would boost sales of Indian beverages and encourage better sales of fruit juices.
A similar move was attempted in the state in 1998 but that failed miserably.
PepsiCo and Coca-Cola enjoy a lion's share in the beverage market in India. So far the two companies have not responded to the ban on their products in Tamil Nadu.
