A water crisis that should not repeat!

Kuldeep Chauhan

Learning a lesson from the fortnight-long water crisis that hit Shimla in May last year, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) and its newly constituted Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Ltd (SJPNL) has increased the water availability from its major sources from 41 MLD to 50 MLD this time to meet the increasing demand of potable water in the city.

Though there was sufficient discharge in the rivers due to heavy and consistent spell of rain and snow from December 2018 to May 2019 in the state, both SMC and SJPNL will have to tread cautiously as last week also the pumping of water from Gumma and Giri water works (the two main water houses that have the capacity to supply over 40 MLD water daily) developed a snag due to power failure and the water supply dropped from 50 MLD to 41 MLD. Many areas got water after two to three days till the pumping was resumed after four hours. 

As the water is not enough for a population of 2.3 lakh people, the heavy influx of tourists further adds to their woes.

Both water quantity and quality remains far from satisfactory. As many as 11 cases of hepatitis were reported from Shimla up to June 4 this year that has exposed the tall claims of the SMC and IPH that there was no case of jaundice from Shimla this year.

Civic body’s tall claims 

When the BJP-led Shimla MC took over from the CPM-led body on May 21, 2017, Shimla Mayor and BJP had claimed that their first priority would be to provide 24x7 water supply to the residents of the city.

Shimla needs 55 MLD of water daily to meet the water demand of its 2.3 lakh people and 50,000 tourists every day. SJPNL has 50 MLD of water available at sources. Almost 5 MLD to 10 MLD water pumped from the five major sources is wasted through the water supply networks due to leakages in pipelines. 

Whenever power supply fails, pumping from Gumma and Giri water houses stops. As a result, residents do not get water even after two days in merged areas including Totu, Majyath, Kangnadhar, Vikasnagar, New Shimla, Boileauganj, Bhattakufar, Mehli, Kelti, Kusumpti and other areas in the peripheries.

Consumers resent 

hefty bills

Himachal has a plenty of water in rivers and khuds and melting glaciers. But people in the city are being slapped hefty water bills by the Shimla MC mainly in the merged areas of the city.

“The Delhi Government is giving free water (100 litre) to domestic base consumers. But in Shimla, the MC has made water bills as its source of income from domestic consumers, slapping inflated water bills, ranging from Rs 22,000 per connection to Rs 50,000 for six months,” rued house owners in the merged areas. “We use water for household consumption and are not running (gharats) water mills for which we are being charged so exorbitantly,” they said.

“Why can’t the SMC start monthly online water billing system? We pay for six months in a go that result in higher tariff slabs for domestic consumers,” said Govind Chatranta, coordinator, Shimla Upnagriya Jan Kalyan Samiti of the residents and house owners of the merged areas.

The SMC has improved water supply, but it should also stop this loot, as every resident who lives in rented house in the city also ends up paying one of the highest water tariff in the country in Shimla, for water consumption, which is a free gift of nature,” they said.

Residents’ anger against hefty bills is justified. This has been indicated in the findings of a study “Evaluation of Poverty and Social Impact ” undertaken by Sutra Consulting Pvt Ltd to assess the public reaction on any hike in water tariff to provide 24X7 supply and improve services in greater Shimla. The SMC has conducted the study and its final report was submitted to the government on August 31 last year.

The opinion of domestic and commercial consumers as well as stakeholders, including Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) officials and SJPNL were elicited. The localities of Summer Hill, Krishnanagar, Kasumpti and Boileauganj were covered and all income, age, gender and other criterion were taken into consideration.

In 2016, the government, following the High Court directives, established the Greater Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Circle (GSWSSC), which now is named SJPNL, an independent body which now handles water supply to Shimla.

It was found that there was almost 40 to 50 per cent loss in revenue due to leakages, unauthorised connections and other inefficiencies, as the water supply system to the erstwhile summer capital of the British is very old.

The study also indicated that hoteliers were unwilling to pay more as they felt they were already paying higher tariff than other commercial users and were not receiving the required quantity of water. They were compelled to rely on tankers for which they were spending more than Rs 5,000 per day.

Though one knows how much water is consumed by hoteliers and other commercial users, there are over 30,994 water connections in the city, including 24,208 domestic connections providing supply to 50,800 households. 

Water tariffs are metred and are now being charged on volumetric basis unlike earlier, when domestic consumers were charged on a flat rate basis. The commercial customers are fully metered and charged as per meter reading.

Government efforts 

bear fruit

CM Jai Ram Thakur took cognizance of the Shimla water crisis of May 2018 and allotted Rs 125 crore for the improvement of water supplies in the city. Of this, Rs 90 crore was spent on linking Chaba dam on the Sutlej with the Gumma pumping station. “We are getting 10 MLD water from Chaba link in the city. We can pump this water as and when we need it in case of emergency. Right now, we are getting water from Nauti khud as it has enough water to meet the demand of Gumma water works,” said Dharmender Gill, CEO, SJPNL.

But the HP Power Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is yet to start work on the construction of a 22-m high gated dam on the Giri khud near Mahi Pul.

It is targeted to store and supply 20 MLD water daily to the city for two months during summer season, when water discharge in the river is lean. “The dam will have 1.5 km long submergence zone from Mahi Pul to Sainj and will cost Rs 52 crore. The tender will be allotted soon,” said BS Thakur, a senior HPCL project engineer.

Gill said they have replaced 14 km leaking pipelines which plugged leakages of about 9 MLD. “We have also replaced 8 old pumps and electric panels to ensure extra 50 MLD supply daily. We have sufficient water in our sources this season due to water supply from Giri and Gumma,” he said.

On the quality of water, he said 20 water samples are being taken from water storage tanks and public taps and pipelines in the city daily.

Even faulty samples have 1.5 mg chlorine, while two additional parameters, PH value and turbidity, are being considered, he said.

“The 24x7 water supply is being started at Sanjauli on a pilot basis and will extend to the rest of the city once the Rs 985 crore World Bank funded project, that aims to lift water from the Sutlej, comes to force,” he said.

Steps taken by SJPNL to improve water quantity and quality 

• Replaced 14 km leaking pipelines lines to stop leakages of about 9MLD
• Replaced eight old pumps and electric panels to ensure extra 50 MLD supply daily
• 25 water ATMs installed to ensure potable water
• Ensured daily water supply throughout the winter and summer season, which has happened for the first time in the last one decade
• Unlike previous years, no ban was put on the release of new connections and connections for construction purposes were not plugged this year.
• Improving water quality and services to consumers
• The number of daily water samples from the water distribution network to be tested at IGMC was increased from 8 to 20. Reports are excellent and satisfactory. 
• Due to this intense water quality monitoring, there were negligible jaundice cases this year.
• To incentivise efficient and judicious use of water, volumetric water tariff was approved, 24000 consumer water meters were installed to implement volumetric billing, about 52 per cent consumers were benefitted by lesser bills.
• Intensive awareness campaign was started to educate consumers about water conservation. Meetings were held in all big offices, with hotel associations and NGOs.
• To improve the Shimla water supply and sewerage services for future, an improvement programme agreement was entered with the World Bank for Rs 986 crore that will lift water from Sutlej river.
• This will ensure 107 MLD water supply on 24x7 basis in Shimla till 2050.
• To ensure good water quality in streams and improve environment, the sewage collection treatment has been increased from 7MLD to 14MLD, which will be further increased to 30 MLD this year.

‘There is no water shortage in Shimla’

There is no water shortage in Shimla as both SMC and state government have improved the water supply and distribution system in the city. There was no jaundice case in the city this year in winter and summer months as we are giving quality water to residents. The 24x7 water supply is being started at Sanjauli. We have plugged water leakages by laying new pipelines and added 10 MLD water from Chaba that will supply water as and when the city demands. We will start giving monthly billing system very soon. SJPNL is starting the work on World Bank-funded project from the Sutlej soon that will provide 107 MLD water on 24x7 basis.— Kusum Sadret, Mayor

‘Efforts made by previous MC’ 

}It was due to the efforts of previous MC that the water supply has reached more than 50 MLD in the city today. We had allocated Rs 80 crore in 2016 for the replacement of old pumps and pipelines of Gumma, Giri and Ashwini Khud and started the construction of new tanks in each ward that resulted in getting 50 MLD water today. But the MC has failed to supply water daily in the city despite having sufficient water. In many areas like Totu and Majyath people are getting water after three or four days. The BJP-ruled MC has failed to carry forward even projects sanctioned and started by the previous MC. We started the third party testing of water samples in 2016 at IGMC to give good quality of water. The present MC is yet to start virology lab for testing. We oppose the process of privatisation of water by forming  a company. Many consumers did not get water bills since March 2018, whereas we started billing on meter reading every month.— Sanjay Chauhan, Former Mayor

What study says

A study “Evaluation of Poverty and Social Impact ” was conducted by Sutra Consulting Pvt Ltd to assess the public reaction on any hike in water tariff to provide 24X7 supply and improve services in greater Shimla. These are the findings: 

• A guarantee by the utilities for providing 24x7 water supply as people, especially women, are very skeptical about it.
• A mechanism should be worked out so that users receive monthly bills electronically and not twice or thrice a year, as is the case now.
• For domestic users, irrespective of income group, lesser number of documents such as Aadhaar Card and residence proof is suggested for getting a connection.
• For all type of domestic constructions, only domestic connection should be given as conversion of construction connection into domestic connection is time consuming.
• The cost of meter installation, plumbing including pipes into the household should be borne by the utilities.