Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), inaugurated its 5th Water ATM facility in Gujarat. Set up in Naviyani village in Surendra Nagar district, the Water ATM will benefit over 2800 community members. Fresh, clean water will be available at a nominal rate of 35 paise per liter.
Built on a self-sustaining model the facility has a capacity to generate over 1000 liters of water per hour. For 100% adherence of quality standards, the Water ATM is fitted with a Water Quality display screen. The Water Quality display screen shows the purity of water in terms of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), temperature and ph level for the users.
Dedicating the facility to the village community, Mr. A K Tomer, Executive Advisor, Corporate Social Responsibility, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Access to drinking water was identified as a major issue in Maruti Suzuki adopted villages. In Naviyani Village, the TDS levels of bore-well water was as high as 2000, making it unsafe for human consumption. The 10-stage UV filtration process used in the Water ATM has now brought down the levels by around 90%, which is within the permissible range.”
Maruti Suzuki has partnered with Waterlife India, to set up this Water ATM. The Company has invested the initial project cost of over Rs 20 lakhs, while the village panchayat provides land, water, and electricity. Waterlife India will continue to manage operations and maintain the Water ATM for the next ten years. The facility will be owned by the village panchayat.
As part of its Community Development initiative, Maruti Suzuki started the Community Safe Drinking Water project in July 2016. Through the initiative, Maruti Suzuki supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 of ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all. The Company has established 21 Water ATMs across 20 of its adopted villages in Haryana and Gujarat, benefiting over 10,000 households.