CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation is in the process of installing water ATMs at 16 Corporation-run schools in the project's first phase. Mayor R Priya unveiled one of the machines at Chennai Girls' Higher Secondary School, Pulla Avenue, Shenoy Nagar, on Tuesday. Water ATMs were also installed at schools in Perambur Market Street and Saidapet.

The steps are under way to install 16 drinking water dispensers in 16 schools at Rs. 1.60 crore. The selected schools are Chennai Higher Secondary Schools in Kolathur, Tiruvanmiyur, Velachery, Taramani, Maduvinkarai, New Washermanpet, and KK Nagar, Chennai Girls' Higher Secondary Schools on MH Road, West Saidapet, Pulla Avenue, Buddha Street, and Market Street, Chennai Middle Schools in Semmenchery and MGR Nagar, Jones Road Chennai Primary School and Saidapet Chennai Boys' Higher Secondary School.

The GCC already provides 250 litres of drinking water per day through a water purification machine, a press note said. Considering the increased demand for drinking water among students, these drinking water dispensers are being installed to ensure a continuous supply of drinking water.

Following this, the second phase will gradually begin. Work is commencing on installing drinking water dispensers in 35 more schools in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 3.50 crore.

"Due to the change in the weather conditions, especially the girl students are dehydrated. To ensure students stay hydrated, GCC decided to give a five-minute break in each period to drink water. Further, the civic body decided to install such dispensers in all Chennai corporation schools," the Mayor said.

GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran, Joint Commissioner (Education) K Karpagam, Regional Deputy Commissioner Central HR Koushik, and standing committee chairmen N Chittarasu (Works) and T Viswanathan (Education), alongside many councillors, officials, teachers, and students, were present at the event.