Speed up work to tackle water crisis in Shimla, directs CM

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday directed the concerned departments to speed up work on the short and long term plans to ensure that there should be no water crisis in Shimla during the next summer season.

The Chief Minister held a meeting with senior officers of various departments to review the measures being undertaken for improvement in water supply for Shimla town from various water sources.

He asked the officers concerned to fast track the work on medium-term plans being executed for enhancing water capacity in different schemes.

The Chief Minister said that efforts are on to ensure availability of more than 10 MLD water for Shimla by enhancing the capacity of Gumma, Ashwani Khud and Giri river from where the water was being supplied to the town.

More tube wells would be explored in the Ashwani khud area and check dams would be constructed upstream of Gumma and Giri water sources. Besides, nine additional storage tanks would be constructed in Shimla town that would help in storing an extra 17 MLD water, said Thakur.

He directed the officers of the Municipal Corporation, Shimla to take immediate steps for checking leakage of water and completing the work on changing the main water supply line from Craignano to Dhalli (7 KMs).

He also said that water distribution system should be improved and directed to take up this work in Sanjauli, Engine Ghar and Totu Wards at the earliest.

Thakur said that the work on Chaba project should be completed within a year which shall provide 10 to 15 MLD of extra water to the Gumma water source.

The Chief Minister also stressed that all the line departments should work in close coordination so that unwanted delays could be avoided and the targets could be achieved within the stipulated time period.

During the meeting, Secretary, IPH Devesh Kumar informed that ultraviolet radiation technology would be tried in Ashwani Khud water source to kill the germs and the process has been started to construct check dams on all the sources of water lifting. He also briefed about the visit of Central Water Commission team to Shimla and suggestions given by it.

Chief Secretary Vineet Chawdhary, Additional Chief Secretary Dr Srikant Baldi and other senior officers attended the meeting.