Kuravilangad: The water ATM installed at the local bus stand at a cost of several lakhs now lies in ruins, with no one to maintain it.
The facility, set up jointly by the Kuravilangad grama panchayat and the Uzhavoor block panchayat at an estimated cost of ₹12 lakh, was launched seven years ago with much enthusiasm. Since its installation, the unit has undergone multiple rounds of maintenance and now stands abandoned and dry.

Once meant to provide clean drinking water, the water ATM is today surrounded by puddles of wastewater and heaps of garbage. Authorities, it appears, have turned a blind eye to the plight of this once-promising public utility.

When inaugurated, the ATM was designed to dispense one litre of water for a ₹2 coin and five litres for ₹5, with a declared capacity to deliver 1,000 litres per hour. However, it functioned properly only for a few weeks before falling into disrepair.

Of the total project cost, the Uzhavoor block panchayat contributed Rs 9 lakh, while the Kuravilangad panchayat pitched in ₹3 lakh. The responsibility of operating and maintaining the system was entrusted to the local panchayat. Though the panchayat has sanctioned funds several times for repairs after the machine developed technical snags, little progress has been made. Even now, despite funds being allocated again, repair work is yet to begin.