Maruti Suzuki inaugurates 11th Water ATM in Haryana

Clean drinking water being a critical need identified by Maruti Suzuki India Limited in its adopted villages in Haryana, the Company has designed a self-sustaining partnership model that provides clean drinking water to villagers at an affordable price. The Company on August 7 inaugurated its 2nd water ATM in the Kasan village of Manesar.

The water ATM was presented to the community members by Lt. Gen. Dushyant Singh Chauhan, Senior Advisor (Vigilance), Maruti Suzuki in the presence of village panchayat and community elders. The Company bears the initial cost of the water ATM, the panchayat provides the land and the electricity to operate the facility while WaterLife India sets up, operates and maintains the plant for at least 10 years. This partnership ensures that villagers can access clean drinking water, meeting WHO and ISO 10500 standards, at 35 paisa/litre.

Under a baseline survey conducted by ‘Waterlife’, the technology partner of Maruti Suzuki for Water ATM projects, various discrepancies were found in the water quality of the villages. The pH as well as the TDS level of the water was found to be on the higher than the permissible limits. Adding to that the sanitary conditions of the reservoir were also below par. The only available clean water was sold at a very high selling price by families with access to RO purifiers.

11 water ATMs have so far been established by Maruti Suzuki in Haryana under this model since 2016. These are located in the villages adopted by Maruti Suzuki in the state. These Water ATMs have seen over 8,700 registrations till now and have dispensed around 5.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water, so far. With the objective to bring about an overall improvement in the quality of life of people residing around its manufacturing facilities, Maruti Suzuki has adopted 26 villages around its facilities in Gujarat and Haryana.