Now, get 300 ml of water at vending machines but at a higher cost

Be prepared to pay more for consuming less. The Railway Board has approved a hike in the cost of buying a glass of water from the vending machines at railway stations with a hope that passengers get 300 ml of water and are not forced to buy 500 ml of water.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) had requested a hike in the cost of 300 ml water available at water vending machines (WVMs). The Railway Board approved the hike earlier in December and it will be soon in place. At present, people can either refill their bottles by paying Re 1 for 300 ml of water or by paying Rs 2 for carrying water in a paper container from these WVMs.

Until now, people were deprived of the option of buying 300 ml of water, despite it being available, and were forced to buy 500 ml of water. "It has been found that the cost of selling 300 ml of water was more for these contractors. So, they only sold 500 ml of water using papaer containers. Now that prices have been hiked, we expect passengers to be able to get 300 ml of water with ease from these WVMs," an official from the IRCTC said.

Sources also said that with paper cups replacing plastic ones, their input cost has increased. At any WVM at railway stations, one can see stacks of cups piled up at a corner. Most of the people are seen refilling their water bottles than buying a glass of water, which is a little cheaper.

The revised prices for 300 ml water of will be Rs 2 for refilling, and Rs 3 for buying a glass of water. The prices for other volumes of water remain the same. There are over 175 WVMs at different railway stations of the Western and Central Railway.

At a time when the cost of one litre of bottled water is Rs 15 and the IRCTC has not done much for selling 500 ml of bottled water, the WVMs have become quite a good option for Mumbaikars who carry bottles while travelling. Sources said, these WVMs together sell over 30,000 litre of water each day and generate average sales of Rs 2,500 per machine per day.

EASE OF CHOICE COMES AT A PRICE

• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation had requested a hike in the cost of 300 ml water available at water vending machines
   
• The Railway Board approved the hike earlier in December and it will be soon in place. People will no more be forced to buy 500 ml of water