The local community in Chengalpattu, Chennai, now has access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water, as a result of a partnership between BASF Catalysts India Private Limited, Waterlife India and the Gundur Gram Panchayat.

This is the second community drinking water project in Chengalpattu by BASF. New water purification equipment, in the form of a water ATM, will serve over 400 families every day, with an initial daily water processing capacity of approximately 8,000 litre. 

The new facility was inaugurated by Brieux Boisdequin, vice-president, automotive businesses, strategy and new business development for BASF South Asia.

BASF employees and government officials, including P Benjamin, minister of rural industries; P Ponnaih, district collector, Kancheepuram, and Maragatham Kumaravel. Member of Parliament, attended the inauguration ceremony. 

The water ATM will be operated and maintained by Waterlife India, the project’s technical partner. To ensure the continued operation of the facility, an affordable user fee of Rs 7 per 20 litre of clean drinking water will be charged to registered community members.

Access to the water ATM also requires a one-time registration charge of Rs 250. All user fees will directly cover the relevant maintenance costs of the facility. 

Since May 2018, water ATMs from BASF in Chengalpattu have supplied over 1.4 million litre of clean, safe drinking water to approximately 1,000 community households.

The BASF team has also contributed to offering similar water ATMs for communities in Singaperumal Koli, Veerapuram, and Maraimalai Nagar, making five water ATMs available for communities in Chennai.

Between March 2015 and January 2019, over 3,300 households in Chennai have registered for the water ATMs, consuming over 12.36 million litre of clean drinking water. 

BASF aims to positively contribute to society by leveraging available resources and existing networks. In India, the company focusses on supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and 4 (quality education).

The community drinking water plants provide long-term and far-reaching benefits to the community, improving health by reducing the risk of water-borne diseases and contributing significantly towards their overall well-being and development.