Berhampur: The civic authorities here have decided to install the first water ATM (water vending kiosk) to people ahead the local self-governance Day August 31.
Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities said three such water vending kiosks will be installed before the deadline.
“A private firm from Rajasthan will be entrusted with the task of maintenance of these water ATMS,” said BMC Commissioner Chakravorty Singh Rathore. The commissioner announced this at a special council meeting convened to discuss the preparations for the celebrations of the local self governance day.
The water ATMs do not only stop water misuse but also encourage people to avail the service through smart cards. The water ATMs will be managed by an agency selected by the civic body. “After successful implementation of the project here, we will extend the service to several other areas,” he said.
Areas like slums, bus stands and public places such as parks where drinking water is not readily available will be taken up as priorities while selecting locations for the water ATMs.
All beneficiaries under the Rajiv Awas Yojana will be provided smart cards to purchase water. The general public can use these ATMs by inserting coins to draw water from the machines. People will have to carry their own containers to collect water from these ATMs, said an engineer involved in this project.
Water ATMs will definitely bring relief to the people, especially during summer days when people stand in long queues waiting for mobile tankers. The water ATM service will bring a lot of relief to them. During summer, people will not fall ill due to water borne diseases if they avail water from the kiosks,” said deputy mayor Jyostna Nayak.
The four stages of purification involve two stages of micro filtration through carbon particles, one layer of membrane filtration through (reverse osmosis) and ultra-violate purification. This will finally purify the water.
Thick stainless steel containers will be used to transport the purified water. The water will be treated before filling the ATMs to ensure that citizens get best quality drinking water. Water treatment plants will also be established to cater to the needs of water vending machines.
PNN