The Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC), in collaboration with NGO Bala Vikasa, launched drinking water vending centres at different locations in the city.
According to Shourie Reddy of Bala Vikasa, what they call ‘Sujal Any Time Water (ATW)’ centres offer one litre of clean and cool drinking water at Re. 1. One could also have a pre-paid card to draw water for a month or until the balance expires.
He said Warangal is the first city in the country to have water vending kiosks across the city. They wanted to provide drinking water to road users at low price.
They would also issue ATW (Any Time Water) cards to regular users, using which they can recharge those cards and avail the facility at their convenience. Auto-rickshaw or taxi drivers, who travel through the city all day, can avail the facility.
In all, 11 centres were set up in Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet. These water vending stations will be monitored online using CCTV cameras, RFID and GPRS technology. Water level in the tanks at the kiosks can also be monitored online too.
Bala Vikasa has set up a water purifying plant at the Waddepally tank bund which has a capacity of purifying 6,000 litres per hour.
Five of these kiosks, along with the water purifying plant at the Waddepalli bund, were inaugurated on Friday at the Collectorate office, Kaloji centre, Police Control Room, bus stop and Hanamkonda Chowrastha by district Collector Vakati Karuna, Mayor N. Narender and Municipal Commissioner S. Ahmed.
