Complete Chaba-Guma water scheme by May: MC

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 20

The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has asked the company to complete the construction of the Rs 90-crore Chaba-Guma lift drinking water scheme by May that will provide 10 MLD water to the capital city during winter. 

Though the SMC and Irrigation and Public Health Department have set May as a deadline, the company is yet to start work on laying 17-km pipeline from the Chaba to Guma and complete the construction of the  pumping house at Chaba. 

The scheme is being funded and executed by the IPH Department while the SMC has a supervisory role as the water will be used by Shimla Jal Prabhandh Nigam Ltd (SJPNL), a body of the SMC.  

The IPH Department has stepped in to check the shortage of drinking water in the city after the state government woke up last year when the city faced an unprecedented water shortage for a month.  

Ten MLD  water from the Sutlej will be lifted at Chaba and will be supplied through a 45-mm water pipeline to Guma pumping house during the lean summer months when the 21 MLD Guma scheme faces water shortage from the Nauti khud as it happened last summer months. From Guma, the water is lifted through the existing pipeline to Shimla, said engineers. 

A team of officials from the SJVNL and  leaders led by Shimla Mayor Kusum Sadret inspected the progress of the project.    The team found the construction of the water treatment plant was going on and the firm had started work on the pump house at Chaba. 

The Mayor said the company would complete the work by May so that the residents did not face water shortage in summers. 

Chief Executive Officer-cum-Superintendent Engineer, SJPNL, Dharmender Gill said the company had procured the pipes for the scheme and the process to  lay  the pipeline  was on.