Shimla, April 16 : The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday decided to set up a water supply and wastewater management authority, with World Bank funding, for the state capital, an official said.
A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here.
It approved the formation of Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Ltd (SJPNL) for water supply and wastewater management in greater Shimla planning area and nearby places.
The estimated project cost of the project is Rs 770 crore, a government spokesperson told IANS.
In a report in 2015, the Comptroller and Auditor General highlighted inadequacies of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, noting that just 13 percent of the sewage generated in Shimla is treated and the rest is left in the open - despite Rs.74 crore ($12 million) being spent for installing six treatment plants.
Planned for a maximum population of 16,000, Shimla is home to 170,000 people as per the 2011 census and generates 30.09 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage.
In the wake of the school bus accident in Nurpur town on April 9 in which 24 children lost their lives, the cabinet gave in principle approval to transportation guidelines for the safe plying of transport vehicles deployed in schools.
It was decided that the Transport Department would send letter to all principals of the private schools on behalf of the Chief Minister informing them about the school transportation safety guidelines.
The cabinet also allowed creation of posts in Special Purpose Vehicle for Shimla and Dharamsala Smart City Mission to execute works of Rs 2,906 crore and Rs 2,105 crore for the both cities respectively.
