This hill state in general and capital town in particular was grappling with acute drinking water crisis during the entire winter season and outbreak of Jaundice as thousands of residents have to suffer for the want of safe drinking water. The man made vagaries does not end here as it may further cast shadow on upcoming tourists season likely to begin from next month.
Chief Minister Mr. Virbhadra Singh giving a statement in the house on April 7 stated that Shimla town is receiving supply of 32 to 33 million litre water per day from the IPH department against daily need of 43 to 45 million litre water per day.
Replying to an issue in the assembly recently Chief Minister explained that it was due to mixing of sewerage in the Ashwani Khud water supply scheme leading to worst ever outbreak of jaundice in Shimla town that took more than 15 lives and leaving thousands people bed ridden with Hepatitis A & E infection.
Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation said that there is acute shortage of water in the state as fresh water sources are only one percent in the nature that requires to be use properly. He said that rapid industrialization and new hospitality units increased per capita consumption of water from 60 to 70 litre per day to 130 litre per day.
The last Monsoon reports recorded average 49 per cent deficient in rainfall however it had been compensated in couple of districts due to heavy rainfall in the month of February and March.
Environmentalists says that shortage of natural water reservoirs in the state due to rapid urbanization and increase in industrial area further reduced the water retention capacity and low cultivation of lands as the subsistence farming is forcing many farmers to leave their fields. They warned that situation could be worst if the greed for more concrete jungle did not end and watershed green landscape is declined with the same pace.
