DURING the sweltering summer months, the ruling elite of the British empire in India found solace in the hills. Charles Pratt Kennedy, an adventure-loving political agent of the empire for North India, built the first pucca house in Shimla in 1822, little knowing that his initiative would one day lead to the establishment of a big colony. It is said that the agent’s retinue depended on a small water spring, 100 m away from the house. The other major natural water springs were in Combremere, Boileuganj and the present-day Ram Bazaar area. There was no question of any organised water supply during that time.

As more and more British soldiers, statesmen and businessmen started visiting Kennedy’s hill retreat, the importance as well as the popularity of the hill station increased.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, the new colony, then spelt as ‘Simla’ had become quite a resort. There were about 100 British households, and 500 Indian households. Another 500 families were there to look after the menial work. Since the total population was about 5,000, a need for an organised system of water supply was naturally felt.

The first water supply system of Simla town was planned in 1860s, tapping the Dhalli catchment area for the purpose. This plan materialised in 1875 and supplied 2.5 lakh litres of water a day. That was considered enough for 20,000 people — nearly four times the population actually living there at that time.

To cater to the increasing population, new sources of water have had to be tapped from time to time. The Cherot nullah, tapped in 1889, yielded nearly 38.5 lakh litres of water a day. The Chhaid nullah, tapped in 1914, added another 25 lakh litres a day. The Nauti khud, harnessed in 1920-23, yielded nearly 150 lakh litres a day. Recently this source has increased its yield to 240 lakh litres a day.

The gross water collection and lifting capacity of the town at present is over 400 lakh litres a day. Due to numerous hurdles and catches like failure of electricity, drying up of the source(s), breaching of supply lines due to landslides and avalanches, on an average the town gets only 300 lakh litres of water a day. Thus, theoretically speaking, every resident/ tourist can get about 100 litres of water daily all the year round except in summer.

All innovations and measures adopted by the authorities to increase the water supply still does not cater to the present population of the town, which is nearly 1.5 lakh. Moreover, thousands of people visit the town every day for business reasons or for sightseeing. While the supply has been improving consistently, the need has been increasing too.

The difficulty becomes acute during occasional failure of electricity, drying up of rivers during summers, leakages from pipes. Unchecked leakages from overhead tanks also add to the shortage.

To cope up with the short supply during summers, the municipal corporation supplies water from mobile tanks. Fifteen hand pumps have been drilled and installed throughout the town in recent years. The residents have also been counselled to harvest rain water from their roofs — at least for washing purposes.

The main natural water springs in the town are in Ram Bazaar; Bemloe; near the barrier on the main national highway, below Boileuganj; in Lakkar Bazaar, near Basant Saw Mill. The many other small springs in the town are fairly known to the residents of the areas in which they are found.

The municipal corporation does not certify these springs as sources of potable water. The water from natural springs, however, should be stored for emergencies like fire accidents.

Residents feel that the authorities concerned must ensure that no locality or pocket of the town goes without water. They also suggest that residents should utilise the natural springs in their respective areas for purposes other than drinking.