Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, March 25: Parched throats on the city roads will get some relief as the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has opened two temporary jalachhatras or water kiosks in the city today.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena inaugurated the two kiosks at Gopabandhu Square and Master Canteen Square.

"The kiosks will remain open from 8am to 5pm every day and cold drinking water will be distributed by volunteers to the residents. The civic body will ensure that the water supply is made at the right time everyday," said Jena.

Amending its earlier plan of setting up 100 units, the BMC today decided to increase the number of jalachhatras to 120. The civic body has collaborated with various citizens' organisations and the public health engineering organisation (Pheo) to run the units.

The mayor also announced that the rest of the kiosks would be opened within a week. The civic body will decide on the locations of the kiosks and will also provide earthen pots, mugs and laddles in the units. The civic body has specified a uniform design and colour code for all water kiosks.

In order to ensure smooth monitoring of the water dispensing units, the mayor has formed a monitoring team.

BMC deputy commissioner Chitrasen Rout will be the nodal officer, additional commissioner Alok Kumar Kar will be the supervising officer and public relations officer Gopal Krishna Panigrahi will be the chief coordinator.

In Cuttack, nearly 159 water dispensing units will become functional from April 1.

The water kiosks in both the cities will remain functional till June 15. Keeping in view the recent jaundice outbreak, the Cuttack civic body has decided to put up temporary plastic tanks instead of the traditional earthen pots.

However, the BMC has decided to go ahead with earthen pots.

"The Pheo has been asked to supply clean drinking water and the volunteers manning the units have also been directed to maintain cleanliness to avoid any outbreak of any disease," said a senior corporation official.

However, according to environmentalist Sailabala Padhi, age-old earthen pots are safer than the plastic containers as the former have the ability to absorb bacteria.

Ranjan Biswal, chairman of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation standing committee on public health, said that 159 plastic tanks would be installed in all the 59 wards of the city.

"It is a noble move by the civic body. However, authorities should be careful about maintaining cleanliness," said Bhimatangi resident Nirmala Rout.