Chennai — The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will install 16 smart water ATMs, one each in 16 corporation-run schools, a plan announced by Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran in the July council meeting. The first-phase rollout covers five schools in the Kodambakkam zone, four in Adyar, three in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, two in Royapuram and one each in Sholinganallur and Anna Nagar. Schools with more than 1,000 students were prioritised for the pilot.
A senior GCC official said the Buildings department will finalise the type of machines and the storage-tank capacities; the model will mirror the smart system already used in a corporation dining hall. Commissioner Kumaragurubaran had pointed out that traditional RO plants become expensive to maintain once they fail, and the new ATMs are expected to both improve water quality and help monitor students’ water intake. The works are still at a preliminary stage while officials assess feasibility and machine sizing for each site.
The move comes alongside the School Education Department’s reintroduction of the “Water Bell” — a scheduled water break signalled by a separate bell so students hydrate without leaving classrooms. Headmistress of the Girls Higher Secondary School, Anna Nagar, welcomed the plan, noting that a single RO plant servicing 1,400 students is already strained and that a water ATM would be beneficial.
Beneficiary schools named for the first phase include higher secondary and primary schools across Tiruvanmiyur, Kolathur, Velachery, Taramani, Semmenchery, Maduvankarai (Guindy), TH Road (New Washermenpet), MGR Nagar (KK Nagar), Marker Road (Perambur), Girls HSS on MH Road (Perambur), West Saidapet, Pulla Avenue (Shenoy Nagar), Buddha Street (Korukkupet), Boys HSS on Kodambakkam Salai (Saidapet), Chennai Primary School on Jones Road (Saidapet) and Chennai Middle School at MGR Nagar (T Nagar). Officials said installation and final preparations will continue as site assessments are completed.
