The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon examine all water ATMs in the city and will cease to provide any water connections to such units unless any organization willing to set up such facilities, apply to the civic body for permission.
During the KMC monthly meeting today, it was pointed out that several water ATMs that are installed in the city to provide cold drinking water to citizens, during summer, have no provisions for maintenance. This results in lack of hygiene which in turn could pose a threat to public health. The member mayor in council, Debashish Kumar said that KMC must conduct a thorough audit of these water machines installed at public places.
He said, “Many organizations install such water machines in the city without taking any permission from the KMC. Hence, it becomes impossible for the civic body to keep track of whether these are being maintained by these organizations. Most of these private companies, which install such units, do it for the sake of advertising as their brands are etched on these machines. The KMC has to come up with a plan to examine these water ATMs.”
Mayor Firhad Hakim said filters of such water ATMs, if not changed, can lead to water poisoning. “We will now come up with a decision that in case any organization wants to set up such water ATMs, they need to apply to the KMC, taking responsibility for its maintenance. In case such a unit is set up without informing us, no water connection will be provided.”
The mayor also said that the water department will be asked to identify the defective and unmaintained machines in the city. Water samples will be collected from these water ATMs to check whether it’s fit for consumption. The health department was asked that the samples must be tested in the KMC laboratory.