Water crisis: Construction in Shimla banned until June 30

Shimla, June 18

Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh today said all construction activities in Shimla town as well as in areas under the jurisdiction of the Shimla Municipal Corporation had been halted due to the prevailing water crisis.

The MC also issued an order banning the construction activities till June 30.

Addressing the media here, Singh said the town was facing water shortage as the sources from where water was being lifted were drying up due to the lack of rain.

“Shimla requires around 48 Millions of Litre Per Day (MLD) water, but only around 35 to 38 MLD is being supplied to the town due to decrease in the water level in the sources,” he said.

He said monsoon was expected to arrive by next week after which water level in the sources would get back to normal again and the ongoing crisis would abate.

Singh said work on a 50 to 60 MLD drinking water supply scheme, funded by the World Bank, was underway and expected to complete by the year-end or by the next year. This will provide additional water to the town, he added. “As soon water level in the sources gets back to the normal, we will enhance the supply to the town,” said the Minister.

Clarifying that the SJPNL was not giving additional water to hotels and commercial establishments, he said these properties were being provided water supply on the lines of residential areas.

He also requested the people of the state not to waste water and use it judiciously to overcome the present crisis.

The Minister said he had also requested Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mayor Surender Chauhan to deploy flying squads to check the practice of water wastage.

“Efforts will be made to provide drinking water supply in every alternative day in the town in the coming days,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Shimla Municipal Corporation has banned all type of construction activities involving the use of cement and concrete in the town till June 30 in view of the ongoing water crisis.

As per an official order by Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupinder Attri, the state’s Meteorological Department has said the town had experienced the lowest rainfall this summer in the past several years.

“This has resulted in a drought-like situation with water drying up in the sources catering the town. It has also been warned that it will take some more days for monsoon to reach the state. Therefore, it has been decided to ban construction activities in the town till June 30,” he said.