Besides severe water rationing by the administration, high court bans special supply to VIP homes, tells state to tap Army for help.
Chandigarh: If you are heading to Shimla for a break from the sweltering heat, make sure you carry your own water to drink, and well, to bathe. Reeling under its severest water crisis in two decades, the queen of hills is wary of tourists.
With the administration following a strict water rationing regimen, protests by residents continued for the fifth day Wednesday, with no signs of the situation returning to normal in the coming days.
On Monday, almost a week after the shortage began, Shimla was divided into three zones and water supply rationed — five hours a day, once in three days, in each of the zones. Locals are queuing up with containers next to water tankers stationed on the city’s famous Mall Road, while those living in rural areas are heading to bauris or small natural water inlets in the hills, to collect water.
Sunday night saw irate locals protest outside chief minister Jai Ram Thakur’s residence alleging that water supply to prominent government buildings, big hotels and VIP houses remained unaffected. They alleged that the Shimla municipal corporation (MC) was “diverting” water to VIP areas.
Residents blocked the Kalka-Shimla highway Tuesday saying they had been without water for 8 days. Minor clashes between protesters and the police were also reported in the evening near the secretariat.
Taking suo moto cognisance of the grim situation, a division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court headed by acting chief justice Sanjay Karol Tuesday banned any special supply to VIP residences in Shimla (including his own house).
Last week President Ram Nath Kovind was in Shimla with his family on a five-day trip to the state. He had visited the Shimla water catchment.
Mayor in China, CM takes over
Even as a committee headed by the chief minister was constituted Monday to tackle the situation, Shimla’s first BJP mayor, Kusum Sadret, left for a seven-day trip to China Friday, further fuelling the anger among residents.
The government has attributed the severe condition to a dry winter with very little rain or snow in the Shimla catchment area. This has resulted in inadequate filling of the original water sources feeding Shimla’s six water supply schemes.
A government spokesperson explained that as compared to the 1,004 MLD (million litres per day) of water, which the Shimla MC received in May 2016 and the 1,105 MLD it got in May 2017, this year the civic body has received only 810 MLD. As a result, water consumers in Shimla town are getting 29 MLD water per day as compared to 32.4 MLD in 2016 and 35.6 MLD per day in May 2017. The requirement in peak summers touches 42MLD.
‘Construction, tourists responsible’
Residents blame the situation on the misuse of water for construction and also its increased used for farming in the lower reaches through illegally installed pumps. The high court suspended all construction activity within Shimla planning area for at least a week, while imposing a complete ban on washing of cars. Meanwhile the irrigation department has rationalised the use of water for irrigation from the Giri and Gumma rivers.
The ever-increasing influx of tourists to the heritage town, once the summer capital of British India, has also been cited as a reason for the present crisis.
Besides the over 2 lakh population of the town and surrounding areas, an additional 15,000-20,000 tourists throng the town in peak summers. The peak tourist season, say locals, is yet to begin. Residents took to social media Monday dissuading tourists from coming into the city. Hotel owners confirmed that bookings are being cancelled.
Extraordinary measures
Apart from severe rationing in water supply, extraordinary measures are being taken to ease the situation. The high court has asked the state government to approach the army authorities for diverting water used for watering the golf course at Annandale, situated within the Shimla town limits.
The court has also asked authorities to approach the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, which has got huge water storage tanks to meet emergency situations.
“We are hopeful that the said authority(s) shall be considerate in responding to such request in this hour of crisis which the city is passing through,” reads the high court order.
The minister of irrigation and public health, Mahender Singh Thakur, who took a round of the area Tuesday ordered the immediate installation of hand pumps at some places.
Great pity. Apart from the hardship caused to residents, the loss of revenue from tourists will hurt. At such times, for the mayor to take off on a foreign jaunt, a golf course being kept lush green, there is need for introspection.