Water supply inadequate, hoteliers turn to borewells

Tribune News Service

Solan, August 21

Water availability in the Kasauli Planning Area (KPA) is inadequate and as a result both commercial and domestic users are digging borewells to meet their water requirements.

Although the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) supplies water to the area, it caters merely to residents due to limited water availability and commercial users are left to make arrangements on their own.

The KPA, comprising a stretch of 35 km, houses about 150 existing and 50 upcoming hotels, with an equal number of bed and breakfast and home stay units.

In the absence of any other option, hoteliers opt for digging borewells on their premises after securing the mandatory clearance from the HP Groundwater Authority. “The panchayat concerned is supposed to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to such users. Norms like the digging of a borewell not allowed within 500 m of an existing water source are taken into consideration while giving permission to such borewells,” said Sumit Sood, Superintending Engineer of the authority.

There are 170 borewells in the area, which has 72 commercial, 51 domestic, 35 irrigation and 12 industrial users as per the figures secured from the HP Groundwater Authority in Shimla.

The groundwater sources are witnessing sharp decline in water leve. “Barely 10 per cent requirement is met from the borewell dug in our hotel and the remaining requirement is met through water tankers,” said Balbir Singh, vice president, Rosetum Group of Hotels.

It is surprising that constructing water harvesting structures in hotels has not been made mandatory by the government. However, the need to invest in water harvesting was felt this summer, when a sharp decline was registered in the water level of borewells.

In the Solan division of the Jal Shakti Department, which also includes the Kasauli area, nearly 52 water supply schemes suffered from a reduction in quantity ranging from 25 per cent to 75 per cent this summer.

Scanty rain hits water schemes

• With scanty rainfall in the region, the water supply schemes of the Jal Shakti Department suffered this summer forcing the residents to opt for borewells
• The groundwater sources are also witnessing a sharp decline in the water level as despite having borewells, hoteliers had to engage water tankers to meet their requirements this summer