DHARMAPURI: Commuters arriving at the Dharmapuri bus stand have urged the municipality to take steps to repair the sole RO water purifier unit, which has not been functioning for the past four months.
The lack of drinking water at the bus stand has distressed passengers amid the summer heat.
It is estimated total 50,000 people pass through the stand every day to catch buses to various parts of the Dharmapuri district and neighbouring districts like Krishnagir, Vellore, Tirupattur, and various other areas.
An RO unit was set up here nearly a decade ago to ensure clean drinking water, but now it is not functioning, forcing passengers to purchase water.
Speaking to TNIE, S Selvakumar from Dharmapuri said, "Right now the district has high day temperatures. People need clean water in the bus stand. Steps should be taken to fix the RO unit."
Another daily commuter, S Poomani from Nallampalli, said, "Because of the lack of RO units, passengers have to spend Rs 20 on water bottles. Most of the people passing here are either farmers or daily wage workers who cannot afford to spend money for water. We need more RO units here immediately to keep people hydrated. In the late hours after the shops close, commuters find it difficult to buy water."
TNIE attempted to reach out to Dharmapuri Municipality Commissioner R Sekar but the call didn't go through. However, municipality officials stated, "At present there are no RO units, but we have ensured drinking water is supplied through tanks. These tanks are properly cleansed and disinfected regularly. Commuters can safely use this water."