Bottled bus stop, to beat the heat

Hyderabad: Recycling plastic bottles is not a new concept but a bus stop built of recycled drinking water bottles is catching everyone’s attention in a colony road in Uppal. A firm associated with the GHMC had bought 1,000 discarded plastic drinking water bottles an-d built the bus shelter, the first of its kind in the city.  

The bus stop has no seating arrangements. Two key artisans S. Jattaiah and T. Bhoomaiah, worked 15 days, using 1,000 one-litre plastic drinking water bottles to build the 8-feet by 4-feet bus shelter at Swaroopnagar colony, street number 10, at Uppal division.  

“This spot has been a bus stop area for years. However, several requests made to the GHMC circle office to install a shelter went in vain. So, without the GHMC permission, we set up this knockdown model, so that in case the GHMC insists on its rem-oval, it can be relocated. Instead, they have responded positively,” said Prashanth Lingam, resident of Swaroopnagar, who funded the bus shelter.

Artisan S. Jattaian said, “Around 1,000 regular, one-litre plastic drinking water bottles were purchased from a scrap dealer in Bhoiguda, at '1.40 per bottle. The bottles were drilled, and a rope ran through them. The frame is made of metal, but even the roofing has been made of the pep bottles.” Being made of plastic drinking water bottles, the makers were worried about the plastic melting. Thus, th-ey kept checking the bottles every day.

“The residents have liked it, however they said it is so small. Also, heat has touched 43 degree, and we keep checking the condition of the bottles whether it’s melting. They stay intact. There is a lot of gap between the bottles. There is constant air flow in all directions.”

The bottles are not sealed and there’s no difference with the increasing temperatures.” The bottles are not sealed and there’s no difference with the increasing temperatures.”