Now, water supply to Shimla on alternate days

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 4

Apart from asking the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department to tap two cleaner water sources near Ashwani khad, Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) today resorted to supply of water on alternate day in the city.

The SMC also shut down water supply from the “contaminated Ashwani khad water source, which has been getting about 2 million litre of “untreated water daily from the faulty Maliana sewerage treatment plant”.

“We have resorted to alternative day water supply in the city from today as we have stopped the supply of 5 MLD of water from the contaminated Ashwani khad after the SMC team found that 2 MLD untreated water is flowing into the Ashwani khad”, said Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar at the press conference here today.

“We have taken the rising cases of jaundice being reported mainly from areas which get water supply from the Ashwani khad seriously and sought IPH help to provide safe water to the residents”, they said.

The Mayor said they had asked the IPH to supply 35 MLD of water daily from other sources as they have diverted the water supply from Sanjauli water storage to Kusumpati water storage tanks after they stopped taking water from the Ashwani khad.

“We are chlorinating water and have asked the IPH to provide safe water”, he added.

The SMC team comprising of three councilors and three officials found that the two streams of water sources — Koti and Baral — near Ashwani khad should be tapped by the IPH.

This can add 3 MLD of water to the Ashwani khad source daily, said Mayor.

“Only additional water pipes need to be laid for this. The IPH should immediately stop the flow of untreated sewerage water into the Ashwani khad water source that gives about 5 MLD to the Kusumpati water storage tanks daily”, added Panwar.

The IPH-run Maliana sewerage treatment plant, outsourced to the private contractor, uses an outdated technology, the team found during inspection.

“Dry refuse of the treatment plant is decaying. There is no alternative power supply and about 2 MLD of the untreated sewerage water flow into the Ashwani khad”, they said citing the findings of the inspection team.