Kaul Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health Minister said that safe drinking water being the basic necessity has always remained a priority for the Government and added that the last village of the State had been provided safe drinking water facility. He said that after giving all the 16807 census villages of the State, the Government has taken the responsibility of providing safe drinking water to all the habitations in a specific time frame of the State.
He said that upto May, 2007, about 70 lakh gallons water provided to the people of the town and in June about 60 lakh gallons water against today’s today requirement of 99 lakh gallons was being provided in the town which was due to inflow tourists etc. to the town.
He said that Rs. 65 crore Giri Water Supply Scheme for Shimla town would be dedicated to the people of the town by 2nd October, 2007 and added that the work on the scheme was on war footing and said that with the completion of the scheme, the problem of drinking in the town would be solved for next 30 years.
He further said that Government was also considering to lift the water from Pabber river in Shimla district to the town and added that detailed project report of the same was being prepared and about Rs. 650 crore would be spent on it which would solve the water problem of the town for next 50 years. He said that Government was providing Rs. 35 crore to the HPSEB for supply of electricity for water lifting for Shimla town and added that about Rs. 110 crore were also being provided for this purpose in the State.
Thakur said that 19 water storage tanks had also been constructed, out of which eight had been tested for water storage and remaining would soon be tested for the purpose. He said that total water storage capacity of these tanks would be of aobut 73 lakh gallons which would meet out the water shortage problem to some extent.
