Bhubaneswar, Aug 31: For the occasion of self-governance day on August 31, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation BMC), yesterday presented the first water ATM (water vending Kiosks) of Odisha in order to facilitate safe drinking water in areas like bus stands, slums, parks. The water ATM was launched by the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday at Jahrana Sahi.
Also, the BMC presented a foot over bridge (FOB) to the people of capital city and thereby laid foundation for the new BMC building on the occasion.
Through the water ATM, people can get 1 litre of safe drinking water by paying just 30 paisa. ‘Smart Cards’ to purchase water would be issued to beneficiaries under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) to avail the low cost drinking water facility through water ATM. The public can get water by putting one rupee coins in the machine.
As per the information given by BMC, with an estimated cost of Rs 4.93 crore, around 40 water ATMs would be set up and four treatment plants will also be built by the end of this year. The maintenance work would be handed over to a private firm.
Besides this, with modern elevator system, dustbins, shoe shine machine and mobile charging points, the foot over bridge at Jayadev Vihar was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
The construction work of BMC’s eight-storey new office with a budget of Rs 50 crore, whose foundation stone was also laid by the Chief Minister yesterday, would be finished within three years.
