The water ATM installed near VOC Park in Coimbatore city remains unused.
| Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan
Several water ATMs installed across Coimbatore using funds allocated under the MLA Local Area Development Fund of Vanathi Srinivasan are currently lying unused, despite being launched to provide free purified drinking water to families in several localities.The initiative was launched in 2022 in areas such as Ramanathapuram and Ukkadam before being extended to other parts of the Town Hall region. Each unit was established at a cost of around ₹18 lakh. Under the scheme, around 1,000 smart cards — one for each family — were reportedly distributed for every unit.Registered families were entitled to receive 20 litres of RO-purified drinking water free of cost every day through the water ATMs by using electronic swipe cards. Borewell water was the primary source for the units.The project was later expanded to 16 locations in the Coimbatore South constituency. However, many of the units soon fell into disuse and are now lying unused in several areas.When contacted, officials of the Coimbatore Corporation said the civic body was not maintaining the water ATM units. Officials added that the Corporation would examine the issue and decide on future action regarding the facilities. Published - May 27, 2026 07:22 pm IST
