NDMC to have 60 water ATMs, an android app for citizen services

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has identified 60 locations to set up water ATMs in its jurisdiction. Although, only six of these will be in slums, those in dire need of regular and clean drinking water supply will get them. The civic body will adopt differential pricing and achieve cross-subsidisation of water for the poor, said NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar in a press conference on Thursday.The number of water ATMs may touch 200 if the response is good, he added.
Dispensers in slums will yield up to five litres of water on each payment. The payment will be a nominal charge, assured Kumar, to prevent misuse of dispensers. In other NDMC areas, it will be one to two litres of water on each payment. It will either employ the use of coins or smart cards. The NDMC plans to set these up by the onset of summer.
It is also setting up a toll-free 24/7 number and an android citizen application called ‘Smart NDMC’ that will integrate all services of NDMC into a single app. The app is set to be launched in a fortnight. NDMC already has an android app called Fix It which serves as a complaint forum. However, ‘Smart NDMC’ is different, said Yadav. One can download forms, lodge complaints and book community halls. “This will be a one-stop solution for all citizen services of NDMC,” said Chanchal Yadav, NDMC Secretary. “It is like having NDMC on phone. NDMC internal officers will also be able to track the check-in and check-out time of officials. So that the information is available to everyone,” said Kumar.
Kumar also said that the inner circle of Connaught Place will be pedestrianized by within three months and electric vehicles will also be deployed.