Coimbatore: Water vending machine at Ukkadam a huge hit

COIMBATORE: With more and more customers queuing up in front of the water vending machine run by a self-help group (SHG) at Ukkadam, the district administration is planning to rope in more SHGs.
The city corporation was planning to install 130 vending machines throughout the city. “We were not sure if the women SHG members would survive in the business, considering the huge competition in the water business. That’s why we wanted to implement the project on a pilot basis. Now that the members are doing good business, we are confident that their business would increase further. We are planning to introduce more SHGs in the project,” said a senior official with the Tamil Nadu corporation for development of women.
They are planning to invite five SHGs to manage vending machines in each of the zones, the official said. “Some have shown interest after we conducted talks with them.”
The corporation had inaugurated its first vending machine at the Ukkadam bus stand a month ago. Since then, SHG Thendral Sikana Nanaya Sangam has managed to sell 4,500 litres of drinking water per day.
“We plan to sell potable water to commercial establishments and for weddings and temple festivals, where bulk quantity is required. As of now, we are selling about 200 water cans per day apart from selling about 400 litres – a litre for Rs 1 – at the vending machine. We are hopeful that the business would expand in the coming months,” said S Krishnaveni, leader of the group.
The SHG members are also advertising the project, Krishnaveni said. “We are distributing pamphlets that explains that the project is a government initiative, at commercial spaces and apartments in the city. As a result, we have got some customers from RS Puram. Those who were not ready to buy water from us have started contacting us.”
But the SHG is facing huge opposition from private water vendors. “If we can find some sort of solution to tackle the opposition, we would definitely succeed in our business,” Krishnaveni said.
A litre of water is sold for Rs 1 and 20 litres for Rs 7 at the plant. Those customers, who want a 20-litre bottle delivered at their doorstep, need to pay only Rs 20.
The SHG gets Rs 3 for selling 20 litres at the plant and Rs 12 when delivered at the doorstep. The corporation gets Rs 1 when 20 litres are sold.