At Peak Tourist Season, Shimla battles Worst Water Crisis

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Shimla’s water crisis entered its eighth day today (30 May). At the peak of the tourist season, the ‘queen of hills’ has run dry. For over a week now, there has been an acute shortage of drinking water in the city and residents have to depend on water tankers, which entails walking long distances and waiting in queues for hours. Shimla’s daily requirement is around 42 MLD (million litres/day) water but supply has fallen to 22 MLD.

Fed up with the situation, locals took to protesting and raised slogans outside Chief Minister’s residence late last night. Locals allege that whatever little water is available, is being diverted to VIP areas and tourist hotels. Protestors blocked the Shimla-Kalka road and skirmishes with the police were also reported.

The severe shortage of water, forcing the residents to stand in long queues for hours, has left locals helpless and angry.

Amid the ongoing water crisis in the summer capital, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday directed the Municipal Commissioner to stop supply of water through tankers to individuals, more so in VIP areas housing judges, ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats, police officers, or commercial establishments. The court, however, clarified that the order will not include residences and offices of the Governor and Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have warned that the spectre of water scarcity looms large over not just Shimla but the entire state. Himdhara, a state-based environment research and action collective, on Wednesday said that a massive crisis is unfolding in the Himalayan rivers due to the upcoming hydropower projects there.

Himdhara activist Manshi Ahser told media that Shimla in particular needs an urgent action plan to prevent an environmental catastrophe. She cited upcoming hydropower projects, rapid urbanisation, spike in tourism, industrialisation, mining and the effects of climatic changes on the Satluj, Ravi, Beas, Chenab and Yamuna river basins as some of the reasons for this phenomenon.

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