Amma drinking water scheme remains stalled in Chennai
Residents are purchasing private water cans as the city's automated dispensing units operate at only a few locations.
The Amma drinking water scheme in Chennai remains inactive, leaving local residents to rely on private 20-litre water cans, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. While the city introduced automated dispensing units to replace the original initiative, these new units are currently only working at a limited number of sites.
The original purification programme was launched in 2016 by former chief minister Jayalalithaa. The Chennai Corporation set up 50 centres at a total cost of ₹1.50 crore, with each centre costing ₹3 lakh. The scheme served approximately 20,000 families, with each centre supporting about 400 beneficiaries through a smart card system that allowed households to collect 20 litres of water.
The plants were abandoned following the Covid-19 pandemic and a change in government. Although a resolution was passed to transfer management from the Chennai Corporation to the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) following complaints of commercial diversion to hotels, the formal handover was never completed.
A CMWSSB official stated that the existing three-year contract has not been cancelled and the board has requested the necessary files to process the formal handover. In the interim, the board established 50 automated dispensing units at locations such as hospitals, parks, and Marina Beach at a cost of ₹6.04 crore. These units were inaugurated in June 2025 by chief minister M.K.
Stalin, but they are not functioning effectively across all locations.
One Chennai resident noted that families pay between ₹30 and ₹40 for each 20-litre private can. The resident added that they use canned water for drinking due to frequent contamination concerns with board-supplied water, which is used for cooking instead.