Solar Powered ATMs to provide clean drinking water in Pakistan

We all have used or heard about ATMs for drawing cash, but now we will be able to get access to clean water through solar powered ATMs as well. An ATM card will be issued to the users to get clean water through the machine.

The team behind this project is a group of ambitious students from Information Technology University(ITU) who are working under the Innovation for Poverty Alleviation Lab(IPAL) in Pakistan. Now with the support of Punjab Government, this project is going to see the light of the day. The water dispensers are expected to be installed in rural areas of Pakistan where clean water is scarce. Each family at such places will be given a card to get access to clean water, each family will have the quota of water that can be utilized per month.

“The innovative machines will help the government maintain a record of the exact quantity of clean drinking water being dispensed in a day in a specific locality, besides ensuring its quality,” Program Manager of iPAL, Jawad Abbasi, he said.

Wrind: Automated Water dispensing machine has two components; a real-time water dispensing unit, and a water quality controlling mechanism. Not only the amount of water but the quality of water dispensed will also be checked. The device will be attached to a central database which will keep count of which individual has consumed how much water. The user interface of the device is designed keeping illiterate and low tech population of Pakistan in mind.

“We are planning to install the machines at 20 filtration plants in the first phase that will benefit some 17,500 families,” Jawad Abbasi said.

If innovation and problem solving go hand in hand, we see products like these which are making our lives very easier and healthy. Will the government be able to manage the project on a large scale? Will the rural families accept such kind of product whole-heartedly? We will be able to talk about it more after the pilot product is installed.

Source: IPAL and Tribune