SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Urban Development and Country Planning Minister Sarween Chaudhary said on Thursday that the World Bank has agreed to a financial help of Rs. 929.89 crore for a water supply and sewerage project for the state capital.
In a written reply to a question in the assembly, she said that ‘the final negotiation meeting regarding the loan sanction will take place on 24th October as a development policy loan’.
Including the rivers Gumma and Giri there are six sources of drinking water supply to Shimla town with a total water supply capacity of 54 million litres per day.
In June 2018, Shimla faced one of its worst water crisis for weeks and the judiciary had to intervene and it came down heavily on government and civic authorities. It also sent locals on the warpath and forcing tourists to cut short their stay.
Replying to a question of Congress’ first-time legislator Vikramaditya Singh, the minister said that ‘to ensure regular supply of drinking water, particularly during summer, there is need to augment the Gumma water source from the Sutlej river and construct storage dams on the Giri river’.
Another step to meet the water requirement would be to install filter units in 13 ”bouries” or natural water bodies here to ensure water for non-potable uses.
Civic body officials blame Shimla’s water shortage to leaks in the distribution network, a significant portion of which was laid during the British rule, and diminishing water resources due to over-exploitation.