Water ATMs evoke good response in Khammam

​Khammam: All the four Water Automated Teller Machines (WATM) or Water Vending Machines (WVM) set up by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are yielding good results at the Khammam Railway Station.

The passengers travelling from Khammam to other areas are expressing their happiness for installing the water ATMs at the station. The IRCTC has installed  two WVMs on each platform so that passengers can get easy access to the machines hoping that nominal charges on them would encourage commuters to purchase pure and safe drinking water. 

We want to sell portable and chilled water to passengers and minimise the sale of bottled water sold by private companies. The quality of the water served would be as per the standards of World Health Organisation (WHO), said a railway official on condition of anonymity, while speaking to The Hans India here on Friday. 

He said that those who run the vending machines would pay certain lease rentals which would be shared between IRCTC and the Railways. Cost of input water and electricity would be borne by the contractors setting up the unit as well as wastebasket and a refrigerator to ensure that the water temperature remains cool. The outlet water is recycled for use in toilets at stations or to clean the station premises, he added.

Raghu, who is maintaining the WVMs, said that the machines provide water to train passengers at Rs.1-20 based on the quantity. Each of these ATMs would be providing chilled water to passengers at affordable rates. There are two categories of rates for refilling and for supplying water with containers (bottles).

 The passengers must pay Rs.1 for refilling of water bottle of 300 ml, Rs.3 for 500 ml, Rs.5 for one litre, Rs.8 for two litres and Rs.20 for five litres of water. For purchasing of water with containers, the passengers must pay Rs.2 for 300 ml of water, Rs.5 for 500 ml, Rs.8 for one litre and Rs.12 for two litres and Rs.25 for five litres of water, he added.

 T Sudhakar Swamy, a passenger, who purchased one litre by paying Rs.5 from the ATM counter expressed happiness over the facility started by the railways. Earlier, the passengers had no option but to carry water from home as the chlorinated water was not good in taste, he added.