The Calcutta-based Patton Group introduced a new roller water tank in north Bengal on Friday to help hill residents transport water easily.

“We are working for sustainable water conservation solutions and trying to come up with products which can enable easy transportation of water in rugged terrains and rural and semi-urban areas where people do not have access to the piped water supply. Today (Friday), we have launched the water-on-wheels roller tank here which can help people in the hills,” said Ujjal Kumar Das, the vice-president (marketing) of the group.

Usually, people carry water in canisters and buckets and walk for kilometres, especially in the hills.

“It causes physical discomfort to the carrier and there is a high chance of water contamination. We have come up with the roller water tank which has a capacity of 90 litres. It can be easily pulled or pushed over mountainous and uneven ground. Its capacity is around five times that of an 18-litre bucket. The roller tank can be an effective drinking water carrier in the hills,” said a source.

Drinking water supply is a major problem in the hills.

On Friday, the group also introduced the contactless hand wash station — a standalone hand-free and foot-operated unit to dispense hand wash and water. “It has a water storage tank of 500 litres which ensures 750 hand washes per refill. Being hands-free, the risk of contamination is less,” the source added.