Shimla: Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh asked MC Shimla to immediately restore supply of Giri Water Supply Scheme and ensure daily distribution of water to the people of Shimla and its suburbs.
The Chief Minister, in a meeting of officers of I& PH Department, Electricity and Municipal Corporation Shimla, said that action would be taken against those who have failed to plug the leakages and over flow of the water tanks.
Singh also directed I& PH officers to complete work on Rs. 105 crore Garoh-Gandal water supply scheme in Shimla Rural Assembly segment by mid of April catering to the population of around 75,000 of 41 panchayats.
It was informed in the meeting that there was total requirement of 44 MLD water within limits of Municipal Corporation Shimla and the total requirement outside MC Shimla was around 4 MLD. With the repair of Giri rising main pipe, around 5 to 6 MLD of water would increase.
Principal Secretary I&PH Anuradha Thakur revealed that the entire rising main of Giri water supply scheme was being replaced and the work had been almost completed which would add 5 to 6 MLD to the existing supply. Since the Ashwani Khud was closed in January, 2016 still there was loss of water to around 9 to 10 MLD approximately.
Municipal Corporation Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan reacted that the MC has completed work of replacement of badly leaking 2000 meters pipeline of Giri water supply scheme. He said that everyday about 6 MLD (60lakh litres) of water was leaking from this pipeline since it started in 2008 and loss of several crores of Rupees has been done to people’s money by the state government IPH Department who has planned, built and commissioned it. Reacting to the Chief Minister statement about enquiry to find out the reason leakage of water, Chauhan said
“Chief Minister your concern about leakage in Giri water supply scheme is highly admirable and you have said today in the meeting that who is responsible for leakage should not be spared. I request you to hold an enquiry in this Giri water supply scheme and those guilty for wasting people’s money should not be spared and punished accordingly. The enquiry should start from its plan and why it has started leaking since it was commissioned .It collapsed in just 8 years, whereas we can experience Gumma Water Supply Scheme, built about 100 years ago and still relevant”
Chauhan said the Municipal Corporation Shimla had taken over the Giri water supply scheme in July, 2016 and decided to replace this badly damaged pipeline after spending about 3.5 crores and repaired it.
