Undeterred by its utter failure in the experiment with the Automatic Water Vending Machines, widely known as water ATMs, GHMC is calling for fresh proposals to set them up at new locations.
The civic body is all set to call for Expressions of Interest and Requests for Proposals from those interested to set up ‘water kiosks’ afresh, at chosen locations. However, the kiosks will not be as many as earlier, and will be restricted to important and feasible locations.
As per sources from the corporation, the number of water kiosks will be restricted to 10 in each zone this time, unlike earlier, when more than 200 water ATMs were set up across the city.
Instructions have gone to all the zonal commissioners to cancel the MoU with the existing agencies, so that new agencies are invited. Engineering wing officials have been asked to invite zone-wise RFPs with a notice period of two weeks for establishment of the kiosks on the same terms and conditions as earlier, at select locations.
The water ATMs were initially set up about five years ago, through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by GHMC with two agencies, for supply of clean drinking water for ₹1 per glass and ₹2 per litre. The users merely needed to drop a coin in the slot to fill enough water to quench their thirst.
The machines equipped with steel glasses tied with a chain, were sponsored by the agencies. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board was mandated to ensure continuous supply of water to the machines equipped with water treatment units. The only contribution of GHMC to the initiative was space where the ATMs could be set up.
The machines proved to be a failure soon after their establishment. Few people used them and they soon became defunct due to lack of maintenance and vandalism. Either the glasses were broken, or the vending mechanism was conked out at several locations, while lack of water supply rendered a few more useless. No efforts were made to restore them, or to get people to use them. The machines ended up as one more structure impeding walkers on the footpaths.
The initiative’s failure is largely attributed to lack of maintenance, and their derelict condition. However, it is ignored that numerous water shelters (chalivendrams) set up by philanthropists across the city supplied water free of cost, while to obtain water at the kiosks, one needed to have coin change.
“At tourist locations such as NTR Marg and Necklace Road, one was not sure about the water quality after seeing the derelict condition of the machines,” says a source.
