Shimla: Expected to meet long term water needs of Shimla, the central government has approved a Rs 750 crore ‘gravity drinking water supply scheme’ from Pabbar river, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal disclosed today.
“After having given its nod, the central government has moved the project to World Bank for consideration of funding the scheme that would overcome water shortages and meet future requirement for at least three decades,†said Dhumal.
The state government received a communication from the central finance ministry approving the project, today itself.
Dhumal said that the state government had prepared a detailed project report in respect of gravitational drinking water supply scheme for Shimla town from Pabbar River and submitted it to the central government with a request that it be approved and recommended for financing by World Bank.
All modalities were completed for the project to qualify as an external aided one, he said.
The feasibility study of the project was got completed by a designated agency ‘Water and Power Consultancy Services’ (WAPCOS), which also prepared the budget estimates for the project.
Dhumal said that after approval of the project by the World Bank, it would help the state to avail funds on 90:10 ratio basis with 90 percent as grant and 10 percent as soft loan payable on easy installments over a prolonged period of time.
Climate change and global warming was posing a challenge to meet water scarcity but the state was preparing to meet future needs and had timely prepared a detailed project of the gravity water supply scheme to draw water from Pabbar River.
A gravity water supply scheme would save heavily on electricity charges being spent over pumping the water to storage tanks.
The government was concerned about the water problem in the drought prone areas and was working overtime to find out permanent solution for it, said Dhumal.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
The previous Congress Govt. ‘brought’ water from Giri river for Shimla and everyone knows what happened. For the BJP, it will be Pabbar river.
Water supply schemes for Shimla city are a big scam in itself. Even if the water was to brought from the Indian Ocean, it will never be adequate for Shimla city. It is only the politicians and contractors who ultimately benefits from such schemes.
Now that Chandrayaan has found water on the moon, the next water scheme will should include the option of getting some lunar ice as it will help keep Shimla cool during the summers.