From rxpgnews.com
Water shortage parches Shimla
By IANS,
Apr 19, 2007 - 1:51:47 PM
Shimla, April 19 - With summer season peaking in Shimla, water is in short supply and civic officials have decided to ration it.
While the hill station with a 250,000 population needs eight million gallons of water daily, it has only six million for distribution, according to the Shimla Municipal Corporation.
Civic officials said that starting Thursday, water would be supplied on alternate days to meet this shortage.
According to one estimate, 1.5 million gallons of water are lost due to leakage as a majority of the pipes were laid out decades ago.
Most of the 450 hotels, restaurants and guesthouses meet their needs by procuring water in tankers from faraway streams as the local reservoirs have only limited supply for residential areas.
The water crisis is likely to worsen in the coming weeks as the dry spell grows along with the tourist rush.
Relief is only expected when the 45 km away Giri river water supply scheme starts supplying water to a thirsty Shimla by year-end.
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