Eight water ATMs installed in all the eight wards of the Pune Cantonment area in 2016-17 are lying defunct for the past three years. The ATMs were installed to provide rationed, clean and pure drinking water to the area residents.
The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) had initiated the pilot project under the “Smart Cantonment” initiative at a cost of Rs.35 lakhs. And a Gujarat-based company had installed the ATMs.
Sandeep Gaikwad, a resident of RS Kedari road, said, “We had got the water ATM in the area in 2016, and it was clean and pure drinking water. But due to a lack of timely service and attention by the board, these ATMs have become defunct. We want the ATMs to be activated again in the larger interests of the people,” he said.
Manzoor Shaikh, former vice-president of PCB, said, “When the water ATMs were functional, worms were coming out of the machines after which complaints were made to the board. Currently, all the ATMs are shut across the cantonment area. People still need the water ATMs and if they are restarted, the cantonment residents can benefit from the noble initiative.”
Subrat Pal, chief executive officer (CEO), PCB, said, “The ATMs are shut since the Covid-19 pandemic started. We have received complaints from cantonment residents regarding the shut ATMs. Some components need to be changed otherwise it will affect the water quality. It will now be reactivated within a month.”
