The Chittoor Depot-II of the APSRTC, which had hit the headlines for its humanitarian gesture of providing water cans in all its depot buses last year, is going to do it again this summer.
It all happened mid-summer last year when a passenger begged for water while breathing his last due to sunstroke in an RTC bus in Karimnagar . This tragic episode moved the Chittoor Depot-II manager, P. Gajalakshmi, who initiated immediate steps to arrange water cans in all the buses of the depot.
Starting with a few buses initially, the official quickly mustered the support of business and public groups in Chittoor, who came forward to sponsor the water cans in the buses. Soon, all the buses carried mineral water cans, much to the relief of passengers, particularly the aged and children on long distance journeys. The exercise continued till the summer ended. Ms. Gajalakshmi’s Samaritan gesture inspired many of her colleagues in the corporation elsewhere in the State, and they all followed suit.
Speaking to The Hindu , Ms Gajalakshmi said that this year, water cans would be made available in all the 103 buses of the depot. Some of the Express and long route buses are already providing water during journey . “A business establishment has come forward to sponsor the cans. However, we are having a mineral water plant in our depot, which has a 12,000 litre capacity tank. All the crew on the buses have been instructed to provide the water cans without fail,” she said.
