Tenders floated for Shimla’s 24x7 water supply project

Shimla: To ensure round-the-clock supply of drinking water in the town, Shimla Jal Prabhandan Nigam (SJPN) Limited has floated Rs 350 crore tenders to lift water from the Sutlej.
Last year, Shimla had faced acute shortage of water for weeks, leading to massive protests.
The construction period of the project is three years. The World Bank, which is funding the project, has been told that the project would be implemented by 2024.
SJPN managing director Dharmendra Gill said water from Sutlej would be tapped at Shakrori near Sunni.He said it is estimated that by 2050, Shimla would require 107 million litres per day (MLD) drinking water. And considering the impact of climate change and rural development, current resources would be able to meet the requirement of only 40 MLD water.
He said to meet the additional demand of 67 MLD, they had prepared the detailed project report to lift water from the Sutlej. He said tenders have already been floated and work would be allocated soon.
Gill said along with areas falling under the limits of Shimla municipal corporation, distribution would also be ensured in the adjoining areas.
He said the World Bank has been assured that the project would be implemented by 2024. He said to increase availability of water through existing resources, officials are plugging leakages to check wastage during distribution.
He said as the company is going to ensure 24x7 supply of water in Shimla, it has adopted volumetric tariff system.