To meet the shortage of drinking water in ever increasing population in many towns of the state, Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma revealed that government of HP is working on permanent solution and planning a long-term programme.
The minister said for Shimla town, which is facing water shortages at many places, HP Govt has sent Rs 516-crore water-lifting project for Centre’s nod. He revealed that under the project, water would be lifted from the Kol Dam, adding that with the project, there would be no drinking water dearth in the town for the next 25 years.
He said for Nahan town, Rs 75-crore drinking water supply scheme and for Dharamsala, Rs 21-crore drinking water supply scheme had been sanctioned. He added that a project for the augmentation of water supply scheme for Mandi town had been sent to the Central Government for its nod and for Jwalamukhi town, the DPR of a new water supply scheme had been sent to the Centre for its sanction. For Nagrota Bagwan, an Rs 6-crore project had been sanctioned, he added.
The minister said under the 12th Five-Year Plan, 10,725 clusters in the state would be provided drinking water facilities. Besides the national target of 55 litre per person per day, the state would provide 70 litre of water per head per day in the state. He said the state government had fixed a target of providing additional irrigation facilities to farmers for 27,000 hectares so that they could produce crops round the year.
