CM Stalin unveils 50 automated water dispensing units
The units, set up in high-footfall public areas such as bus terminals, railway and metro stations, government hospitals, markets, parks, temples, schools, and colleges, are intended to provide free and safe drinking water to the public. Users could collect water in 1-litre or 150 ml quantities through the automatic dispensers.
However, within hours of the launch, residents and commuters reported that some of the machines had stopped functioning. Social activist LM Jai Ganesh said the units in Vasuki Nagar and Muthamil Nagar near Kodungaiyur became non-operational by Wednesday afternoon. He noted even during the inauguration by MLA RD Sekhar, only the machine at Vasuki Nagar dispensed water, but that too stopped functioning after sometime.
'When food delivery agents and auto drivers tried to fill their bottles, the machines didn't work,' he told TNIE. 'When I contacted the toll-free number displayed on the machine, the person who answered the call said they were unaware of the issue and asked me to call the (CMWSSB) area engineer.'
An auto driver in the area, who did not want to be named said, 'I finished my meal nearby and came to drink water, but there was no water.'
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