Alappuzha, Kerala: As the intense summer heat grips Kerala, KSRTC buses are set to offer passengers drinking water as a relief measure.

A one-litre bottle of water will be available for ₹13, with conductors and drivers also receiving a commission for each sale.

Earlier, Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar said that drinking water would be made available at a lower price in KSRTC buses under the brand name 'KL-15'.

The stock has already started reaching select depots in the district, and the initiative aims to provide water at a lower price than the open market.

The bottled water is supplied by Hilly Aqua, a unit of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), a public sector undertaking.

Passengers will be able to purchase the water from bus counters as well as directly inside KSRTC buses. As part of the incentive scheme, conductors will receive ₹2 per bottle and drivers ₹1.

In the Alappuzha depot, stock has already arrived, and distribution is expected to begin from Monday through both depot counters and buses. The supply will gradually be extended to other depots across the state.