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What if you could grow water, like plants? It would be available whenever you wanted it, you would know exactly where it came from, and it could possibly confirm the existence of magic in this world. Well, you can do all those things… kind of. Atmospheric water generators may not sound revolutionary or magical, but they do make water out of thin air.S Rudraprakash has had an air-to-water machine for the last two years. Living in water crisis-struck Chennai, the water generator has come in handy. He says, “I was looking for a dependable source of water because the borewells were going dry and the quality of water was very poor. We have a 120L machine, which means that it produces 120L of water in 24 hours,” he says.How exactly do these devices work? These machines run on electricity. They suck in moisture from the humidity in the air, the coils inside it condense the moisture to make water droplets, and after a filtration process — voila, you have fresh and clean water at your disposal.The technology was first brought to the country by a company called Watermaker India in 2005. Meher Bhandara, its founder, says it took a few years for it to catch on in India, but the machines have been selling in the last three years or so. Bhandara says, “When we first tested out the machine, we took it to the Water Asia Exhibition in Delhi to see the reaction. People were walking around the whole unit, looking behind it and underneath it to see if there were any hidden pipes.” Now, the company supplies its machines, ranging in size from 120L to 2,500L, to homes, schools, clinics, and many companies sponsor these machines as part of their CSR.There’s also Akvo, an air-to-water generator company based in Kolkata. Its founder Navkaran Singh Bagga says their vision was to increase water sustainability. “These machines give you a completely independent source of water that doesn’t require any other forms of distribution,” he says.Hyderabad-based Maithri Aquatech also signed an MoU with Bharat Electronics Ltd to produce 1 lakh units a year of Meghdoot, their atmospheric water generators. MD of Maithri, M Ramakrishna says that the machines have been supplied to individuals, corporates as well as the armed forces —they’re used by the army in Ladakh, and by the coast guard.The players may be multiplying but there are certain limitations to the use of these machines. For one, the price is steep. Watermakers’ soon-to-be-released 25L machine, which they claim is enough for a family of four to drink and cook with, costs Rs 45,000. Another company Air O Water’s large 100L machine costs Rs 2 lakh.Additionally, these machines perform best when it is hot and humid. Bagga says, “It runs at its optimum level when the weather is above 30 degrees and the humidity is at around 85-90%. It’s like solar power in that sense — it works best in places with more sunlight.”Manasa Pillai, principal of Chennai-based Shrine Vailankanni Senior Secondary school, says they have installed four machines in their school. “As educationists, it’s important that drinking water is provided in schools and that we’re up to date with technology,” she says of her Akvo machines.Another possible concern could be about pollutants. If our air is polluted, and the water is made from it, would that mean that the water is polluted as well? Well, these companies claim to have inbuilt filtration systems. “Additionally, after the water is collected, it goes through a five-step filtration process, including sediment, pre-carbon, post-carbon, re-mineralization and UV filtration,” says Bhandara.Mumbai-based Sherry Merchant has one machine in her Alibaug holiday home, and another in Mumbai. She says, “What I’ve noticed is, when you’re cooking food, or making tea with this water, the flavour is better.” When they aren’t in Alibaug, their machine is out in the open for all in the area to use.Ramakrishnan says these machines are the future. “Desalination of water is very expensive and power intensive. RO water involves so much wastage and sucks up minerals, so what are our options? If we convert 0.1% of the humidity in the atmosphere, it’s enough drinking water for all of us,” he says.* Atmospheric water generators suck in water vapour from the air. Their coils condense it into droplets. These droplets collect in a tray, where the water is collected, cleaned, purified, and then dispensed* They range in sizes from 25L, for household use, to a 5,000L machine for schools, institutions etc* These machines don’t come cheap — a 25L-30L generator costs between Rs 45,000-70,000, and Maithri’s 1,000L machine costs Rs 10 lakhWith these air-to-water machines, you don’t have to rely on any external authority for your waterHowever, they need a certain degree of heat and moisture to be effective — they don’t work in areas where the moisture is under 20%