A 3,000-litre water ATM has been inaugurated at Perungudi in Chennai, allowing residents to collect 20-litre cans of drinking water for Rs 5 as part of a research-led response to heat-related water access concerns.
The facility has been established by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at one of its heat stress study sites. The inauguration took place on Saturday during the foundation’s ongoing four-year study on the effects of extreme heat on physical and mental health.
MSSRF director of health systems and nutrition Dr Mohan Kumar said access to drinking water had been repeatedly raised as a concern during field visits. The water ATM is intended to provide a local source of drinking water while the foundation continues to examine how heat affects communities.
The study is being conducted across four locations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Perungudi and Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai are the two sites in Tamil Nadu, while Sirwar in Raichur and Challakere in Chitradurga are the study locations in Karnataka.
Researchers are examining heat exposure, heat-related illnesses, coping mechanisms, mental health and the preparedness of health systems to respond to extreme heat. The Perungudi intervention links that research to an immediate community need: access to affordable drinking water during periods of high heat.
MSSRF chairperson Dr Soumya Swaminathan said the water ATM was the foundation’s first intervention aimed at addressing an immediate community requirement alongside its research. The foundation plans to explore establishing similar water ATMs at its other study locations.
The inauguration also included an exhibition of photographs by local youngsters documenting the effects of heat on water access, nutrition, food choices and livelihoods. The event featured a street play, a Silambam performance, prize distribution and tree planting. The next phase of the initiative will involve assessing whether similar facilities can be established at the foundation’s other study sites.
