Opposition targets HP government over delay in deciding water supply scheme

SHIMLA: Water has become a political issue in state capital Shimla these days, where around 2 lakh people are facing acute shortage of water due to huge gap between demand and supply. With a scheme to bring water from Pabbar hanging fire due to irrigation minister Vidya Stokes and chief minister Virbhadra Singh reportedly having differences on feasibility of the scheme, opposition BJP and CPM have now cornered the government over the issue.
In a meeting of irrigation and public health department held on June 2, irrigation minister Vidya Stokes had said that the project to bring water from Pabbar was financially viable in comparison to another scheme to lift water from Satluj. But following the announcement of Stokes, chief minister Virbhadra Singh had announced formation of a cabinet sub-committee of four ministers headed by Stokes to further discuss the issue.
Virbhadra had said that the cabinet sub-committee would look into the possibilities of drawing water from Satluj and Pabbar. While the state government is waiting for report from the sub-committee, CPM leader and Shimla mayor Sanjay Chhauhan has posted a comment on a social networking website to "wage a war" against chief minister Virbhadra Singh on the issue. "The same chief minister who proposed gravity water supply scheme from Pabber is now stressing on Kol Dam lift water supply scheme. What a drastic change," Chauhan commented.
Seeing an opportunity to corner the government, even opposition BJP has launched an attack on the government. BJP has questioned the decision of forming a committee of ministers. "Instead of ministers, the government should have included experts in the committee," said BJP's state spokesperson Ganesh Dutt.
He said that World Bank had already rejected proposal for drawing water from Pabbar twice as bringing water from 185 km distance in the hills was not feasible. He said that drinking water scheme from Satluj through Kol Dam was more feasible and cost effective and therefore the state government should send the proposal to the Union government at the earliest.