Water from the Sutlej reached Shimla’s Sanjauli reservoir on Sunday after the completion of final testing of a bulk water supply project that is expected to ease the city’s recurring summer water shortages.

Testing of the system had been underway for the past three months. Officials said the water reached the reservoir in the state capital on Sunday, marking the completion of the trial phase.

“This project aims to enhance the water supply capacity to 107 megalitres per day (MLD),” Rajesh Kashyap, general manager (operations), Shimla Jal Prabandha Nigam Limited (SJPNL), told PTI.

At present, Shimla receives around 40 MLD of water from five schemes, Gumma, Giri, Churat, Cheir and Ashwani Khad, which often struggle to meet demand during the peak summer months.

Under the project, water is sourced from Shikrodi in Sunni and lifted in three stages through Shikrodi–Dwada–Dummi before reaching the Sanjauli reservoir through a 27.3-km-long pipeline.

“Initially, the scheme would provide 42 MLD of water, and after 15 years, the capacity will be enhanced to 67 MLD,” Kashyap said.

A jack well has been used as the intake point. A 21-megalitre settling tank has been installed to deal with the high turbidity in the Sutlej water, and the system also includes clarifloculators and rapid sand filter units.

Disinfection will initially be carried out through chlorination and will be upgraded to ozonation within six months. A water testing laboratory has been set up at Shikrodi under the project.

The project has been built at an estimated cost of around Rs 500 crore with funding from the World Bank and is the biggest water supply scheme of its kind in Himachal Pradesh.

Work on the project began in October 2020. While permission had been granted to cut 1,330 trees, officials said around 700 were saved by raising the pipeline on anchors and thrust blocks.

Officials said the pipeline is 750 mm in diameter and meets American Petroleum Institute (API) standards. The project will also generate about 500 KW of solar power through panels installed on buildings and tanks.

Local MLA Harish Janartha said the project would be formally inaugurated soon.

Shimla has long faced water shortages and irregular supply during the summer months, when demand increases due to tourism and rising temperatures.