‘Onus on my govt to tackle water crisis’

Shimla, which remained the summer capital of the British for its pristine environs and cool climes, is a pale shadow if its glorious past. Reeling under a severe water crisis, the worst in recent times, there seems to be complete mismanagement and the drinking-water supply in the state capital, aspiring to be a smart city, is in disarray.

Unfortunately, the issue seems to be assuming political overtones even though this is a situation which did not take place overnight and successive regimes are equally to be blamed for the mess. The situation is being equated to South Africa’s Cape Town moment. 

There is clamour for water everywhere with public anger spilling over to the roads. With the responsibility of water supply lying with the Shimla Jal Prabhandan Nigam under the BJP-controlled Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), the Congress and the CPM are crying foul. The absence of Mayor Kusum Sadret, who is away to China on an official trip, couldn’t have come at a worse time. With her absence from the city drawing a parallel with Nero, the BJP has been left red-faced to say the least. 

The saffron party had created history when for the first time they gained control of the prestigious SMC. Have they let down the public mandate by being too casual or whether the situation warrants larger intervention is the question on everyone’s mind.

If more than a dozen deaths due to an outbreak of hepatitis A and E infection, two years ago, brought the spotlight on the Queen of Hills, today it is the parched town, stinking streets and scuffle for water that is making national headlines. The town with a daily requirement of 43 mld is barely able to manage 22 mld from the Giri, Gumma, Churhat, Chaid and Koti Brand. During the tourist season, the demand escalates to 48 mld. Can Shimla, which is already a concrete jungle, and fast moving towards becoming an urban slum, take the burden of new constructions and hotels is the critical issue. Interview of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on the current water crisis plaguing the capital town and the suburbs.

Q: What in your opinion is the reason for this sudden decline in the quantity of water from various sources, catering to the state capital’s water needs?

A: There is no denying the fact that every summer, water scarcity in Shimla has been becoming worse. However, with very little rain and practically no snow this winter, the water level has dipped drastically. In 2015 the total water supply that the town was receiving in May was about 36 mld, this declined to 35 mld in 2016 and was down to 34 mld last year. However, to everyone’s surprise, it went to an all-time low of barely 22 mld, forcing this crisis. As such there is depletion in water sources coupled with increasing irrigation demands of villagers and the additional demand of the floating population of tourists, every summer. 

The continuous rise in temperature due to global warming and climatic change, as is the case elsewhere in the world, has only added to our woes. 

Q: There is also the undisputed fact that there is a huge loss of water during distribution which has not been taken care of. How much is this affecting supply?

A: I fully agree that there is a lot of loss of water during distribution from the main distribution line to the houses, which needs to be plugged. According to official figures, there is close to 30 per cent loss of water due to leakage during distribution which is alarming.  

The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department has already identified the main leakage points and in parts between Sanjauli and Indira Gandhi Medical College and towards Dhalli. In fact, parallel pipes have also been laid and these will be linked to the supply once the situation eases. Replacing the pipes on this stretch alone will save almost 2 mld of water. The issue of leakage should have been dealt with over the past few years so that leaking pipes could have been replaced in a phased manner. 

Q: Your political rivals are trying to give the issue a political colour? Do you feel they too are to be blamed somewhere for the mess? 

A: I do not wish to get into this blame game, though they (political rivals) are probably more to be blamed than our regime alone. All I wish to say is that there is no scope for playing politics on the issue. There is no dearth of issues where they can indulge in political slugfest but this issue should not be politicised. The situation did not develop overnight, this everyone will agree with. Now it is the responsibility of my government to tackle the situation and look for solutions to give relief to the people.

Q:  What are the immediate measures that you are taking to bring the situation under control? 

Ans: I am personally monitoring the situation on a daily basis to assess the situation. About 35 water tankers have been pressed into service and there is intense monitoring to ensure everyone gets water in rotation. The town has been divided into three sectors and water is given turn-wise so that there are no complaints and all are treated equally. 

I have personally requested the people from four panchayats, falling in Shimla (Rural) Assembly segments, to agree to divert the water from their kuhls (irrigation channels) to start supply to Shimla in view of the crisis. They are being persuaded by officials also. They have been assured by the Agriculture Department that they will be adequately compensated for the loss of crops, primarily vegetables, which they are growing. The department will assess the exact amount for each farmer of the area. If they agree, the situation will improve slightly in the town.  

Q: What is your government’s long-term planning to tide over water scarcity as the situation is going from bad to worse with each passing year?

A: Our first and foremost priority is to get the Kol Dam water supply scheme expedited. The Rs 725-crore scheme is a World Bank-funded project which is in the final stages of approval. This will help cater to the town’s water needs for the next few decades. The IPH Department hopes to float tenders for the Kol Dam project by September this year. This is the only lasting and long-term solution to Shimla’s water woes. 

Efforts are also on to augment supply from the Satluj and construct rainwater-harvesting structures at the Giri and Gumma water sources. 

Q: The situation has worsened following closure of the Ashwani khud, which was one of the main water sources for the town. What is the possibility of supply being resumed from there if contamination is controlled? 

A: That is absolutely true. Closure of supply from Ashwani khud, which used to feed a major portion of the town, had to be closed for fear of outbreak of infections due to contamination. Water samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, but the results take a minimum of 48 hours to come. In case the water samples are found to be free of contamination, we could resume supply from Ashwani khud. 

Q:  Your government is eying tourism as one of the major sectors to generate the much-needed revenue? Do you think with this kind of acute water scarcity, it is achievable?  

A: I agree that the water shortage could have a major adverse impact on tourism promotion.  If we wish Shimla to remain a preferred tourist destination, we will have to cater to water requirement of every section, be it locals, tourists, hoteliers or the villagers. We are working towards it and I seek cooperation from one and all to tide over this situation.