Shimla water crisis: Situation improves but rationing to continue, schools to remain shut for a week

A fortnight ago, the first news about the acute water shortage in Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, surfaced that left travellers planning a trip to the hill-station high and dry.

While the officials blame the rising temperature and drying up of natural water channels as the main reasons behind this water crisis, the civic authorities have taken some steps to provide relief to local Shimla residents.

With a population of around 200,000, Shimla requires approximately 42 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of water.

Authorities have put in place a rationing system under which the hill city has been divided into three zones and each zone receives water alternatively - after two days.

Officials blame reduced snowfall and rainfall in higher reaches last winter season for the shortage in water supply.

The higher education department has ordered government schools to remain shut for a week in view of water shortage. There would be no monsoon break in schools this year, it said.

Public schools have been ordered shut for 10 days.

Army and police personnel too have been working with SMC to find ways to improve water supply in the state capital.

Further, the Municipal Corporation has managed to plug some leakages and pilferages increasing the daily water supply in Shimla by 10 MLD. According to civic authorities, around 38 MLD water is now being supplied in the city.

On the political front, Chief Minister – Jai Ram Thakur - blamed the previous Congress government in the state for their failure to execute any water supply scheme in Himachal Pradesh.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded the dissolution of the BJP-controlled municipal corporation.

In a memorandum to Governor Acharya Devvrat, I N Mehta, chairman of legal and human rights department of HPCC, said SMC failed to ensure uninterrupted water supply and it should be dismissed by invoking Section 404 of Municipal Corporation Act.

Local authorities now hope that the pre-monsoon showers by the third week of June should improve the situation.