Delhi govt to install 5,000 water ATMs for affordable clean drinking water

The Delhi government is planning to set up 5,000 water dispensing units or ATMs across the city to ensure availability of clean drinking water at low prices, officials said on Sunday.

These water kiosks are planned to be set up on a private-public partnership model, focussing on market areas and localities lacking pipelines thereby depending on supply through tankers, they said.

Water ATMs are popular in NCR cities including Gurugram and Faridabad. In the national capital also, the New Delhi Municipal Council areas have these facilities.  ALSO READ | Clean up: Air, water crises in Delhi demand better fund deployment

In 2023, the previous AAP government had announced installation of 500 water ATMs in the city, specially in slum clusters. The announcement, however, could not materialise.

Some reverse osmosis plants for clean, filtered water were installed in Hari Nagar's Khajan Basti, Shakurbasti, Deshbandhu Apartments in Kalkaji, and Jharoda.