World Bank grants Rs 229 cr to Shimla Utility for water supply betterment

Just as monsoon has created havoc in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh causing flood situation in most parts of the region and hampering water supply in the state capital of Shimla due to high turbidity in raw water, the World Bank provided a grant of Rs 229 crore to the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) which is responsible for water supply and sewerage in Shimla.

The new funding from the global financial institution is a part of the Rs 1,800 crore Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Services Improvement Programme. This programme is a result of the tripartite agreement signed in 2019 by SJPNL, the Central Government and the World Bank.

The Shimla programme of the World Bank has three major components: providing round-the-clock water supply, bulk water supply from the Sutlej and expansion and improvement of sewerage services. The fund is provided to SJPNL as a reimbursement as it achieved performance indicators as marked in the tripartite agreement.

SJPNL General Manager Rajesh Kashyap informed that the Shimla utility will be utilising the World Bank fund for providing round-the-clock water supply and better sewerage services in the Himachal Pradesh capital. The department will also give emphasis on customer grievances redressal and satisfaction.

Just days ago, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced in Shimla that the state has achieved 100% tap connections of its village households making it the first hilly state to achieve the feat under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Until now, only nine states have achieved their target of providing tap water connections to their entire rural population.