“Growth of the social sector is critical to the development of India. The Government of India needs to build strong focus on making safe drinking water available to people at an affordable cost. It is imperative that drinking water be priced so that it is valued and thereby made available in a consistent and sustainable manner.

Decentralised water infrastructure is the order of the day and water ATMs are the ideal alternative that besides safe water, also deliver jobs and social entrepreneurship opportunities to people.

The Government should issue a national level water ATM policy and allocate funds to every State specifically for such projects so that they can be implemented across urban and rural areas besides smart cities and industrial belts.

Debt financing should be made available from nationalised banks for installation and operation of water ATMs to encourage individuals to work as social entrepreneurs and serve communities besides earn a respectable livelihood.”