Shimla: The Union government has approved Rs. 229 crores for the sewage treatment project for Shimla town. The project will be completed by the year 2025 and would cater the Shimla town population for the next 30 years.

Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed that a detailed project report to rejuvenate and lay the new sewage network in the town was submitted to the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. CPHEEO has approved the project worth Rs. 229 crores, Minister further added.

Shimla Sewerage Treatmentproject is being funded by the World Bank under Program for Result (P for R).

Urban Development Minister said that Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) has taken up a project to lay a 230-kilometre fresh sewage network.

“Shimla town is expanding and our aim is to provide sewage linkage to those deprived of it, about 230 km of sewage line is to be laid in Shimla town,” the Minister informed.

Suresh Bhardwaj added that the existing sewage line will also be upgraded by laying six inches diameter pipes. “The project has two components. One is to lay fresh sewage linkage to the houses and another is to upgrade existing lines. This project will be completed by 2025 by SJPNL,” he said.

“There are some households dependent upon septic tanks for sewage disposal. The scheme will end the dependency on the septic tank. Areas of Dhalli and Mashobra will also be linked to the facility under this scheme”, Bhardwaj added.