Guwahati’s public water ATMs fall into disrepair, 9 of 20 functional
A GSCL official said that several water ATMs had been damaged beyond repair, some due to vandalism and theft.
In 2018, the GSCL installed 20 water ATMs across the city to provide clean drinking water to the public
GUWAHATI, May 29: Once envisioned as an affordable source of potable water for commuters, several water ATMs installed in Guwahati today lie abandoned or non-functional, leaving tax payers high and dry.
In 2018, the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) installed 20 water ATMs across the city to provide clean drinking water to the public at nominal rates. A water ATM is an automated water-vending machine that dispenses drinking water after payment through coins or currency notes.
When contacted, GSCL officials told The Assam Tribune that nine of the 20 water ATMs are currently functional – four at GMCH, two at the Assam State Zoo-Cum Botanical Garden, and one each at B Borooah College, Dhirenpara FRU and Nehru Park. Additionally, officials stated that another water ATM is being planned at Sati Radhika Park in Uzan Bazar.
Speaking about the challenges of maintaining such facilities, a GSCL official said that several water ATMs had been damaged beyond repair, some due to vandalism and theft. “From public toilets to water ATMs, damaging public property remains one of the major reasons behind the failure of many public initiatives,” he said.
Furthermore, Jyotirmoy Sarma, an official of GSCL, stated that the operation and maintenance of the water ATMs were initially handed over to Swajal Water Private Limited. However, due to unsatisfactory services, the agreement was later terminated, and the responsibility was transferred to Maa Sati Enterprise, which is currently maintaining the facilities. “With Maa Sati Enterprise, we have re-evaluated our strategy and relocated some of the ATMs to more strategically important locations,” he said. “Some of the ATMs recorded very low footfall, which was why, we shifted them near hospitals and colleges,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim, a sugarcane juice seller from Khanapara, said that the water ATM located near the Regional Science Centre had remained non-functional for years and had now turned into a waste of space. “I have to carry water for both myself and my customers in the pushcart, which is already loaded with the machine and sugar canes. Had the ATM been functioning, it would have reduced a lot of trouble for me,” he said.
Students, office-goers have also raised their concern over this issue and expressed hope that more such water ATM facilities will be made accessible to the people. “For a student like me, it is not practically viable to spend Rs 60 per day on water bottles alone,” said a student from Ganeshguri. “I hope that more areas will be equipped with functional water ATMs as it will be a silver lining for us in this scorching heat,” he added.
By
Staff Reporter