The recent heavy monsoon rains and flash floods on Wednesday night have resulted in an additional loss of around Rs. 44 crore and affected 352 water supply schemes of the state Jal Shakti Vibhag stated Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri in a review meeting with the officers of the department.
He said that during the current monsoon season, till date the department has suffered losses of Rs. 196 crore affecting 2421 schemes.
It was disclosed that the department’s water supply schemes in Kullu and Shimla districts have suffered significant damage. The Kurpan scheme in Shimla’s Matiyana area has been severely impacted, with the pump house, machinery, and pipes being washed away, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs. 10 crores. Similarly, the Rampur water supply scheme has been damaged, incurring a loss of around rupees eight crore.
As a precautionary measure, some schemes are being temporarily closed. Efforts are underway to ensure that the water supply schemes remain unaffected by siltation and that the water supply to the public remains uninterrupted. The Minister disclosed that during the current monsoon season, 2421 drinking water supply, irrigation and sewerage schemes were affected out of which 1438 have been restored temporarily and the work to restore the remaining was going on war footing.
The leaves of all the officers and employees have been cancelled till further orders said Agnihotri and directed all the officers and employees of the department to remain vigilant during the monsoon rains.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
