Gangtok, Jan 5: A Water ATM providing hot and cold purified drinking water was inaugurated at Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital, Gangtok, on Monday. The ceremony was attended by Health and Family Welfare and Culture Minister GT Dhungel and District Collector Tushar G Nikhare.

The facility, installed with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support from Torrent Pharma, aims to improve access to safe drinking water for patients, attendants, and healthcare staff. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhijit Patil, Medical Superintendent Ruth Yonzon, and General Manager of Torrent Pharma Suresh Nath Roy were also present.

Minister Dhungel thanked Torrent Pharma for their support and the hospital authorities for facilitating the initiative. He said the water, purified through a UV-based process, will be available at a nominal cost for maintenance purposes and announced plans for a water harvesting structure at the hospital to ensure long-term water supply.

District Collector Nikhare highlighted that this is the second Water ATM installed in Gangtok and expressed appreciation to Torrent Pharma for their contribution. He noted that the collected nominal charges will be used solely for maintenance.

The installation is expected to provide a reliable source of safe drinking water, reduce dependence on single-use plastic bottles, and encourage environmentally sustainable practices within the hospital.