KOCHI: The Water Vending Machines (WVM) installed by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd which dispense purified potable water for `5 per litre have become a huge hit. A large section of passengers is preferring the purified water from the machines to the bottled ones sold by the MNCs. IRCTC initiated the project last December in collaboration with private companies. The facility was introduced at three railway stations in Ernakulam district in July this year.
A staffer associated with the project at the North Railway station told ‘Express’ 800 l of water was being sold every day from the counter.
“Initially, commuters were reluctant to buy water from the outlet. Now many are using it. Now, 800 litres of water is being sold per day compared to the 200 to 250 litres earlier,” the staffer said.
As per the scheme, the price of purified water is fixed at `8/l and `5 for 500 ml, which includes the prices of the bottles. If passengers provide bottles, the rates are even lower – `3 for 500 ml and `1 for 300 ml.
“The WVMs are a blessing. I always carry a water bottle to my office which used to finish by evening. Hence, I didn’t have water to drink on my journey back home in Thrissur. But now I can refill my water bottle and that too a meagre amount,” said Sandhya Devi, who works at a private firm in the city, and travels between Kochi and Thrissur daily.
“I normally carry water from home, which finishes mid-way during my journey. On most days, I used to purchase mineral water from a shop. But for the last three months, I have been using the WVMs. This way, I was able to reduce plastic waste and also save a hefty amount which I spent on mineral water,” said Mohammad Ashraf, who works at a private firm near the railway station.
Railway officers told ‘Express’, they are unaware of the public response to the WVMs since IRCTC installed them. “The reverse osmosis technology to purify water has attracted passengers in other stations too,” said an officer.The first WVM was installed at the North Railway station on July 27. IRCTC, the catering subsidiary of Indian Railways, also installed WVMs at Ernakulam Junction and Aluva. The machines were installed as part of IRCTC’s plan to set up 91 machines in 18 railway stations under the Railways’ Trivandrum Division, said railway officers.(Inputs from Thasniya Muhammed )
Initially, commuters were reluctant to buy water from the outlet. Now many are using it. Around 800 litres of water is being sold per day compared to the 200 to 250 litres earlier
— A staffer manning WVM at North Railway Station
The WVMs are a blessing. I always carry a water bottle to my office which used to finish by evening. Hence, I didn’t have water to drink on my journey back home in Thrissur. But now I can refill my water bottle and that too for a meagre amount
— Sandhya Devi, a commuter
The charges
Charges for commuters having a container:
B1 for 300 ml
B3 for 500 ml
B5 for 1 litre
B8 for two litres
B20 for five litres
Charges for commuters without a container:
B2 for 300 ml
B5 for 500 ml
B8 for 1 litre
B12 for two litres
B25 for five litres
