Despite the 200 Any Time Water Kiosks (ATWKs), which were installed in public places, being defunct, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) plans to install 60 more water vending machines across the city.
In accordance with the plan, the civic body will establish 10 water kiosks with the assistance of selected agencies in each zone covering Secunderabad, Khairatabad, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, LB Nagar, and Charminar.
The agencies will charge Rs 1 for a glass of water, Rs 2 for a litre, Rs 5 for cans, jars, and pots of 10 litres, and Rs 10 for a 20-litre can.
The GHMC officials said that the ATWKs will be installed on a “build, own, operate and transfer” (BOOT) basis for three years, which may be extended based on satisfactory performance. The agencies will have to install kiosks at locations chosen by the civic body.
Each kiosk should be no larger than 300 square feet, and each should be capable of delivering 5,000-10,000 litres per day with expandable slots.
It will be the agency’s sole responsibility to ensure the water supplied is of adequate quality and to handle any consequential concerns arising from the sale or consumption of water from the kiosks.
These agencies will be responsible for the instalment and monthly electrical charges, the trading licence fee, the lease rent for the kiosk space, and other incidental charges for maintaining the kiosks.
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The GHMC established 200 water kiosks five years ago for the people to access RO-purified potable water at an affordable cost. These kiosks, however, have not been properly maintained and have become an eyesore for the general public. In recent years, commuters, street vendors, and tourists have said these defunct water kiosks are of little value due to the fact that they occupy road space and do not fulfil their intended purpose.
