Oct. 27: The city is set to get its first water booth which will enable people to quench their thirst by just shelling out 50 paise for a glass of pure drinking water.

The booth ? a joint venture between Brahmajal, a private supplier of drinking water, and the district administration ? will be set up near the Kamrup (metropolitan) deputy commissioner?s office by next month.

Director of Brahmajal, Suresh Kalita, said they would arrange the necessary institutional finance for the project while the plot of land has been provided by the district administration to an entrepreneur to run the booth.

?The entrepreneur has already been selected and the water booth will be made functional by the next month,? Kalita added.

The water booth will also serve tea and snacks so as to make the venture economically viable for the entrepreneur.

He said they have plans to set up 300 water booths in different parts of the city if the financial institutions respond favourably. The Brahmajal is already in touch with several financial institutions, including the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) and the National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development (Nabard), for getting finances to implement the scheme.

?The proposed booths will not only provide fresh drinking water at 50 paise per glass, but will also generate employment. We have decided to give preference to educated unemployed youths from weaker sections of society in the scheme,? Kalita said.

The estimated cost of the entire project will be around Rs 18 crore.

Brahmajal is at present supplying drinking water to various households in the city at 15 paise per litre from its plant behind Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok.

Kalita rued that the project has been delayed by several months because of lack of finances. ?Because of paucity of funds, we will begin with only one booth to be set up near the DC office,? he said.

He said Brahmajal has approached the district administration for starting other multi-utility projects.

The proposed projects include installation of a re-cycling plant to clean the water of the historical Silpukhuri and setting up of air-conditioned bus stop-cum-waiting halls.

?We had supplied water to tourists during the Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple after the GMC failed to meet the demand,? Kalita said.