Defunct water ATMs fail to quench Delhi summer thirst

Locals said machines have fallen into disrepair, have damaged parts or developed other glitches, and officials cited the end of a one-year maintenance contract of a company fixed to manage them.

New Delhi

There is lot of demand for drinking water, especially by those working outdoors, amid soaring summer temperature in Delhi. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Amid the ongoing record-breaking summer, scores of 75 water ATMs installed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to dispense drinking water to visitors and motorists at key markets and junctions are lying dysfunctional, locals say, adding they are turning into debris dumping spots for passersby.

Locals said machines have fallen into disrepair, have damaged parts or developed other glitches, and officials cited the end of a one-year maintenance contract of a company fixed to manage them.

Ashok Randhawa, head of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders’ Association. said the four water ATMs installed by NDMC in the market are currently in a poor shape.

“Of these four water ATMs, two units are not dispensing water at all and perhaps, they are out of order. The water ATM installed at Keshav Park dispenses water free of cost. For the rest, one needs to insert a ₹1 coin to get one glass of water (300ml). Around 40-50,000 people visit the market every day and NDMC should fix the water ATMs as soon as possible,” he said.

Water ATMs installed at Mandi House, Pant Marg, Gol Dak Khana and Mandir Marg were also found out of order. Many units were locked, while leaves and debris accumulation blocked dispensers in others.

Gopal Krishan, head of the federation of New Delhi residents’ welfare associations, who lives near Bengali Market, said that almost all three of the water ATMs are non-functional in our area. “These units have been lying shut from several months due to lack of maintenance. Their utility is especially important in this period. NDMC should either repair them or make alternative arrangements,” he said.

NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay said that a large number of water ATMs were damaged and vandalised, and issues of maintenance and upkeep of the water ATMs have rendered many others defunct. “The one-year maintenance period of the company that was provided responsibility of these ATMs has completed. I raised the issue of water ATMs with the NDMC chairman and we are working on a solution to run these units with CSR funds, at zero cost for drinking water. But, people also need to take responsibility of public furniture,” he said.

Upadhyay said that NDMC has continuously faced the issue of parts being stolen and vandalism in public projects, such as escalators and flower pots installed ahead of the G20 Summit, and garbage bins and street furniture in several other instances. “These ATMs will need site-specific solution. We thought that the ones outside AIIMS be shifted inside the boundary of the complex. In some cases, market associations should come forward and take responsibility for them,” he said.