Other States - Himachal Pradesh   

Taps go dry despite heavy rains

Kanwar Yogendra

People using rainwater for drinking; waterborne diseases on the rise

SHIMLA: The hill State of Himachal, which is reeling under a constant threat of flash floods and fury of its overflowing rivers caused by excessive rains, is facing acute scarcity of drinking water. The taps in the Capital have gone dry and helpless hill-folks are now taking to the streets.

People here are shocked at the continuous inefficiency of the Municipal Corporation which is responsible for Capital's water supply but is unable to provide fresh drinking water in any of the major localities of the town in spite of such a good monsoon.

Majority residents in the town are using rainwater not only for washing but also for drinking and cooking.

The tap water is non-usable, said majority residents of Cemetery area. "When it is filtered, even the filter rods are getting chocked", said Surinder Sharma, a Sanjauli resident. The rationing of water in monsoon season is new phenomenon for the local people.

The Municipal authorities have given "silt contamination" as the main reason for sporadic supply of water in the town. The pumps have stopped functioning because of this problem, informed the officials concerned.

In the coming days the total requirement of water would reach 150 million litres from the present 75 million litres in the hill towns and it would go up to 575 million from 400 million litres in the villages.

The catchment areas adjacent to the habitations are full of debris, trash and rubble dumped from towns which is resulting in the formation of sludge in the water. Due to contaminated tap water, the number of water-borne disease cases is also on the rise. About 30 cases of diarrhoea are reported every day to the state-run IGMC hospital alone.

The students of Himachal University hostels have taken to the streets against water shortage.

The State units of CPI (M) and BJP had also protested against the municipal authorities' `incompetence'. Mahila Morcha activists staged a dharna carrying empty buckets and pitchers on Tuesday outside the Municipal Corporation office in the State Capital here.

The Congress on the other hand blamed the Opposition for politicising the water crisis.

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Taps go dry despite heavy rains

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