Madurai: The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has launched a new drinking water initiative called ‘Payani’, offering one-litre water bottles to passengers travelling on express buses for Rs 10.
Following the rollout, passengers and the public have begun asking whether the earlier ‘Amma Drinking Water’ scheme—introduced during the AIADMK regime—will be brought back, as it had wider reach through bus stands.
The ‘Amma Drinking Water’ project was started in 2013 by then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. A drinking water production unit was set up at Gummidipoondi on 2.47 acres at a cost of Rs 10.5 crore, enabling one-litre bottles to be sold for Rs 10 at bus stands. The low price reportedly led to strong public response, with sales reaching 2 lakh litres per day at one point.
Over the years, the service was handed over to private management and production gradually fell to 80,000 litres and later 12,000 litres. After the COVID-19 period, production came to a halt.
With ‘Payani’ currently benefiting only SETC express-bus passengers, there is renewed expectation that the government will restart the earlier production-and-sales network and expand access so that travellers on other government buses can also buy drinking water at Rs 10.
