Solan water crisis: BJP protests, Jal Shakti Dept cites operational issues
Blaming authorities for failing to provide adequate water supply even during the ongoing monsoon, the Opposition BJP staged a protest on Monday outside the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) office in Solan.
Led by BJP city president Shailender Gupta, the protest began in the morning and continued for several hours. Several councillors of the Solan Municipal Corporation, including Deputy Mayor Mira Anand, participated in the demonstration, where empty pots were displayed to symbolise the city’s ongoing water crisis.
Protesters raised slogans against the Jal Shakti Department, the Municipal Corporation and the Chief Minister, accusing them of ignoring a recurring crisis that affects residents every year.
Dismissing official claims that silting at water lifting sources was the cause of the disruption, Gupta squarely blamed misgovernance by both the JSD and the municipal authorities. He pointed out that during the BJP’s previous tenure, percolation wells with a capacity of 50 lakh litres had been constructed. “Why then, is silting being used as an excuse for poor supply now?” he asked.
Holding both the water supplier (JSD) and the distributor (MC) accountable, Gupta said residents were suffering due to their indifference. He also targeted local MLA and Health Minister Dr Dhaniram Shandil, accusing him of failing to fulfill promises made during the 2020 municipal elections — particularly the pledge of free water and garbage services.
The BJP submitted a memorandum to the Governor, demanding an inquiry into the functioning of the Urban Development Department and the JSD, terming the water crisis a result of systemic failure and negligence.
In response, JSD Superintending Engineer Sanjeev Soni presented water supply data for the past month, stating that the department was providing nearly adequate water. He noted that the city’s daily requirement is 80 lakh litres and over the last 10 days, an average of 73.99 lakh litres per day had been supplied from the Giri and Ashwani Khad water schemes.
Even over the past month, the average daily supply was 71.71 lakh litres, with dips on some days due to excess silting caused by rains and other operational issues. Soni argued that with alternate-day supply, there should be no shortage — implying that distribution mismanagement, not supply shortfall, was at fault. He added that tenders to improve supply channels would be floated shortly, as funds had already been received from the municipal body.
However, he acknowledged that until surreptitious water diversion to realtors and hoteliers is curbed and the leakages in old, worn-out pipelines are addressed, Solan will continue to face water shortages, regardless of seasonal rainfall.
Himachal Tribune