Kolkata: As many as 200 ‘water ATMs’ or water vending machines will be set up across Kolkata and its suburbs starting this month, Panchayat and Public Health Engineering Department Minister Subrata Mukherjee has said.
“West Bengal government will launch 200 such machines in and around the city so that the poor get portable drinking water at the least cost,” Mukherjee said while inaugurating the first water dispensing machine in the city.
The initiative is part of the West Bengal government’s ‘Pran Dhara’ (water of life) packaged drinking water project where a litre of potable water has been priced at Rs2 (11 fils), which will enable all sections of society to access clean drinking water by inserting coins.
The project is expected to improve quality of life, especially in urban slums in and other disadvantaged areas around the city hit by lack of access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation.
“Every year many people fall ill due to lack of portable water especially during the monsoon season. The packaged drinking water available in the market is beyond their means,” Mukherjee added.
Last year a similar water dispensing machine was installed in a slum in the easterner fringes of the city under a private initiative and more than 540 households around 3,000 slum-dwellers have benefited from it.
“There was remarkable improvement in health in the area as people did not suffer from dysentery and other stomach bugs. Also the level of hygiene went up and people took responsibility of not allowing others to drink tap water,” said Harish Gupta, a medical practitioner in the area.
“This will be a major boon for commoners as they will get access to clean drinking water at the least possible price. The government should open such machines in all public places like bus stands, metro so that we do not suffer specially during the gruelling summers,” said Souvik, a hawker.
