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Kejriwal's water ATM initiative to bridge gap in access to drinking water between the rich and poor

Kejriwal's water ATM initiative to bridge gap in access to drinking water between the rich and poor

Arvind Kejriwal

Indian national capital's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has announced a plan to install 500 water ATMs across the city to provide drinking water treated using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process to residents in slums and densely populated areas.

During an inspection of an RO plant in Delhi's Mayapuri, Kejriwal revealed that four water ATMs have already been installed, with 500 more planned for the first phase.

20 litres per person

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Each person will reportedly receive a card that allows them to draw 20 litres of purified water per day from these ATMs. The ATMs will be strategically placed near slums and other areas where laying pipelines for water supply is challenging. Water sourced from tube wells will be treated at the RO plants before being distributed through the water ATMs.

Kejriwal emphasised that this initiative aims to ensure that even economically disadvantaged individuals have access to safe drinking water.

Talking to reporters, the chief minister, as per a Hindustan Times report, said: "This card is like a water ATM. Through this, each person will get 20 litres of purified water in areas with inadequate drinking water facilities."

"We know rich people install RO at their home, but now poor people will drink the same water," he remarked.

How the 'Water ATM' will work

The water ATMs, as per a PTI report, will function like a water bank, offering purified water to those living in areas with inadequate drinking water facilities.

Earlier this year, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) received directives from the chief minister to address the issue of contaminated water in various parts of the city. As part of the plan, RO-based purification plants will be set up in 20 slum clusters across Delhi to provide clean drinking water.

As per an official statement released after the meeting, Kejriwal told senior officials that the priority is to "completely" eliminate the problem of contaminated water supply in the city.

"If there is a problem of contaminated water supply in an area, it should be eliminated completely. The identification of the areas where contaminated water is being received should be done immediately, and a detailed plan should be submitted for its permanent solution and implementation," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Moohita Kaur Garg

Moohita Kaur Garg is a journalist and Senior Sub-Editor at WION News with five years of experience covering the volatile intersections of geopolitics and global security. She has e...Read More