Under pilot project, Delhi govt to install 30 RO water ATMs in slum clusters

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The Delhi government has floated a tender to install 30 water vending machines with reverse osmosis systems in slum clusters to avoid inconvenience to people who depend on water tankers, officials said on Wednesday.

An official said the 30 water ATMs, each having a capacity of 30,000 litres, will be installed by the end of April as part of a pilot project.

A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tanker carries 3,000 litres of water. The aim is to eventually replace these tankers with water ATMs, according to officials.

“We have floated a tender for the installation of 30 water ATMs. The bids will be opened by March end. The plan is to install 1,000 more such ATMs on the existing tubewells in JJ clusters (slum clusters) by August end,” he said.

The water ATMs will operate round the clock and people living in slum clusters of Delhi will not have to stand in queues for water, another official said.

A tanker becomes empty within 15 minutes of reaching the area. Many times, the tanker never reaches the destination. Now, RO-filtered water will be provided 24X7 through these dispensing systems, the official said.

“The water ATMs will be installed on the existing tube wells at government facilities, such as those belonging to the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board,” he told PTI.

These water dispensing systems will gradually replace tankers, which cause a lot of inconvenience to people dwelling in such clusters, he said.

The DJB is also considering providing a card to each household so that every family gets a fixed minimum quantity of water every day.

“The card will be provided on the recommendation of the respective area MLA,” the official said.

There will be a proper mechanism to prevent overuse of water. A fixed quantity will be dispensed per household per day. There will be no queues and long waits as these vending machines will operate 24X7, he said.

With their installation, water availability per household also stands to increase.

The dispensing systems will be a big step forward in preventing water theft. And, there will not be any chaos for water in slum clusters like it is now, a third official said.

The government will use advanced RO systems in the vending machines to minimise water loss in the purification process.

These new RO systems will be able to purify 80 per cent of the untreated water. The 20 per cent non-potable water will be collected in tanks for other purposes such as bathing and washing.